Rep. De Venecia re-elected as head of women's bloc in Congress

Pangasinan lawmaker Rep. Gina De Venecia has been re-elected president of the 79-strong Association of Women’s Legislators, Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI), the official women’s coalition at the House of Representatives.

In a Thursday press release, De Venecia outlined the necessity of the women’s coalition in the House of Representatives.

“To achieve a sense of balance with our men-folks, it is important that the lady legislators band together,” she said, noting that while the 16th Congress has the biggest number of female lawmakers in history, they remain a minority.

“We’re still a minority, representing more than a fourth fraction of the total congressional membership.”

In her speech, De Venecia rallied her fellow women lawmakers to “be resolute in wielding their will for gender equality issues, for peace, for education, for environment & sustainable development and for basic human rights.”

De Venecia also urged them to review and consider some 38 house bills filed with the Committee on Welfare of Children chaired by Rep. Aurora Cerilles, and another 21 house measures at the Committee on Women, under the chairmanship of Rep. Linabelle Villarica.

This is De Venecia’s second consecutive term as the 12-year-old foundation’s president, which she transformed last year into a registered foundation at the Securities and Exchange Commission. — Patricia Denise Chiu/BM, GMA News