Quezon City — The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) successfully launched its 2026 National Women’s Month on 12 March 2026 at the ILS Conference Room, organized by the ILS Gender and Development Focal Point System (ILS-GFPS).

In her opening remarks, Executive Director III Jeanette T. Damo highlighted the vital role of women in nation-building and advancing decent work and social justice. “For us at the Institute, it is precisely our mandate to conduct research and advocate for policies that advance decent work for all Filipinos—kasama at lalo na ang mga kababaihan. As automation threatens to displace workers, especially women in routine jobs; as climate change impacts hit the most vulnerable, including women in agriculture and informal work; and as evolving work arrangements often strip away protections and benefits, we need leadership that prioritizes workers’ wellbeing and dignity—leadership in the likeness of the Babaylans,” she said.

Ms. Athena Mari E. Son, Chairperson of the ILS-GFPS Technical Working Group on Advocacy, Policy, and Communications, presented the month-long calendar of activities. Highlights include:

• ILS Juana Trabaho Webinar and Research Colloquium.

• 25 March 2026: Webinar on Inclusive Working Arrangements, Decent Work, and Gender Equality, featuring research on flexible work arrangements and strategies to increase women’s labor force participation.

• 30 March 2026: Research Colloquium on Women’s Economic Participation, Labor Organization, and Work in the Informal Economy, in partnership with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the University of the Philippines Manila.

• Lead Like the Babaylans: Leadership, Empathy, and Empowerment” (23 March 2026) – A workshop in partnership with Bayi, on strengthening gender-responsive, empathetic, and transformative leadership among ILS personnel.

• #WEgoDigital: A TalaKalayaan on Women’s Welfare and On-Demand Domestic Work (24 March 2026). A policy forum on the realities of women domestic workers engaged in digital platforms and evolving forms of on-demand work and how it challenges the Batas Kasambahay.

• On 31 March 2026, a culminating activity to reaffirm the Institute’s commitment to gender equality and inclusive development.

The kick-off also marked the launch of the revamped GAD Corner. The opening program featured PAGLAYA, an exhibition that boldly confronts the realities of stigma, silence, and resilience. The exhibition showcases artworks from LAMBANA: Angono Women Artists Collective, Angono’s first all-women artist group, using art as a powerful medium to challenge systemic barriers affecting women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and persons facing mental health and sexual health stigma. The exhibition aligns with #ZeroStigmaPH, a national campaign spearheaded by Culture and Arts Managers of the Philippines CAMP Pag-ayo, Inc., which promotes Neutral Spaces—creative environments where discussions on health, identity, and social issues can take place freely and without fear of discrimination.

Anchored on the theme “WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society” and the sub-theme “Lead like the Babaylans, Filipinas!”, the celebration features activities that highlight women’s leadership, empowerment, and collective action toward an inclusive society.

After the program, employees also participated in a flower-arrangement activity as a symbolic expression of support, appreciation, and solidarity for the women of ILS.

About this year’s National Women’s Month Campaign

The National Women's Month Celebration in the Philippines has been observed every March since 1988, following Presidential Proclamation No. 224 issued by President Corazon C. Aquino. What began as International Women's Day commemoration on March 8 expanded into a month-long celebration to provide sustained focus on gender equality issues and mobilize government, civil society, private sector, and all other stakeholders in coordinated action. The 2026 National Women's Month Campaign operates under the multi-year theme "WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society" (2023-2028), launched by the Philippine Commission on Women to emphasize collective responsibility (Women and Everyone) in achieving gender justice. The 2026 sub-theme "Lead like the Babaylans, Filipinas!" draws inspiration from pre-colonial Filipino leaders whose authority stemmed from wisdom, spiritual guidance, healing knowledge, and the collective.

Prior to Spanish colonization, Babaylans were spiritual leaders, healers, advisors to datus (chiefs), educators, and ritual specialists in many Philippine ethnolinguistic communities. Their leadership was characterized by: (1) wisdom gained through deep knowledge of medicinal plant and agriculture; (2) empathy expressed through healing practices and conflict resolution; (3) moral authority derived from ethical conduct and spiritual connection; and (4) collective orientation toward community welfare.

The 2026 campaign's focus on the Babaylans is timely given the constraints and opportunities discussed above. As women's political representation declines, as glass walls and glass ceilings hinder women's economic advancement, as care work remains undervalued and gendered, and as leadership positions and opportunities remain scarce for women, reimagining leadership through the Babaylan lens offers pathways toward gender equality and an inclusive society.

To learn more about the 2026 National Women’s Month Campaign, visit the Philippine Commission on Women website: https://pcw.gov.ph/national-womens-month/ 

The full lineup of ILS Women’s Month activities is available on the ILS Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/ilsdoleofficial) and the ILS GAD website (https://ils.dole.gov.ph/gender-and-development).

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