The DTI – Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (#CIAP) joins the Philippine Commission on Women and the whole national government in the 18-day campaign for the prevention and elimination of violence against women (VAW) in the Philippines. To this day, VAW remains to be a persisting problem in the country affecting all Filipino women by hampering their potential for development, limiting economic, social, and political opportunities, and threatening their health, safety, and security.
According to the latest statistics from the PSA, the country’s labor force participation rate in September 2023 was estimated at 95.5%. Female labor participation rate in the same period is at 53.4%. Further, the construction industry contributed approximately 9.54% to the total employment in the Philippines in the said period, or a total of 4.55 million employed persons. With these numbers, it is crucial to ensure the presence of an empowering, enabling, and inclusive environment for both women and men in the construction industry.
CIAP’s Executive Director, Atty. Marco Maat, believes that the participation of women in the construction industry is integral to its continued and more sustainable growth.
According to Atty. Maat: “Kaisa kami ng buong gobyerno sa pagsisiguro ng seguridad at kapakanan ng mga kababaihang Pilipino. Naniniwala kami na sa pamamagitan ng pag-sugpo sa karahasan at diskriminasyon sa mga kababaihan, mas mapauunlad natin ang ating bansa. Inaanyayahan namin, hindi lamang ang gobyerno, kundi ang bawat isang Pilipino, na makiisa sa mga hakbang upang tuluyan nating mawakasan ang violence against women o VAW. Hangad namin sa CIAP ang isang VAW-free, inklusibo, at sustenableng Philippine construction industry.”
