Gabriela bets lead kick off of Women’s Month
Credit to Author: Jose Rodel Clapano| Date: Sun, 2 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — The Gabriela Women’s Party and Makabayan senatorial candidates yesterday launched women’s month activities with urgent calls to address the skyrocketing prices of rice and basic commodities that severely impact Filipino women and their families.
“As we open National Women’s Month, we highlight the hardships experienced by Filipino women who struggle daily to put food on the table amid unabated price increases. Women are the ones who feel first the hunger when budget for the family is not enough,” Gabriela women’s party Rep. and senatorial candidate Arlene Brosas said.
Brosas pointed out that despite government claims of economic growth, ordinary Filipino families continue to suffer from the high cost of living, with rice prices remaining at P50-P60 per kilo in many markets nationwide.
“The economic crisis falls heaviest on women’s shoulders. They are the ones who are balancing a small budget. They are the ones enduring hunger for their children to have food,” Brosas said.
“This Women’s Month, we demand genuine economic relief through concrete measures like removing burdensome taxes on basic goods,” she added.
Gabriela is calling for the immediate junking of the value added tax (VAT) and excise taxes on essential commodities, which they say are regressive taxes that disproportionately burden poor and working-class families.
“We demand the scrapping of the 12 percent VAT on electricity, water and other basic services. It is no longer just for women and their family to continuously be burdened with heavy taxes while tax incentives are given to big corporations,” Gabriela first nominee Sarah Elago said.
Elago emphasized that women empowerment cannot be achieved without addressing poverty and other fundamental issues of our society.
“The Marcos Jr. administration must prioritize people’s welfare over profit. Lowering the prices of rice and basic goods is not just an economic issue but a matter of social justice, especially for Filipino women who bear the brunt of this crisis,” Elago said.