Legarda turns emotional, laments unpaid care, work of women

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda delivers a privilege speech during the plenary session on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Screengrab from Senate of the Philippines YouTube

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda became emotional on Wednesday as she spoke about the unpaid care and work that women provide.

During the plenary session, Legarda delivered a privilege speech in relation to International Women’s Month, saying that women “will innovate to carry us through the climate crisis.”

READ: International Women’s Day: date, history and this year’s theme

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva commended women for their contributions.

“It’s a great opportunity for us today to recognize the contributions of women in nation-building and in social, cultural, economic, and political development of our country,” Villanueva said.

“As you know, the true commander-in-chief in the house is actually our wives. Without our wives, and our mothers, and our sisters to guide us every day in our life, I don’t think we, men, will be what we are today,” Zubiri, on the other hand, remarked.

Legarda then started to talk about the unpaid care and work of women.

“Hindi po namin binibigyan ng presyo ‘yung paghanda ng pagkain ‘yung mainit pag-uwi ninyo. Nagtatrabaho rin kaming babae pero pag-uwi, aalagaan pa ang ilang anak tapos aasikasuhin ‘yung budget ng bahay,” she said.

(We do not give a price on food preparation when you go home. Women also work but when we arrive home, we still take care of our children and manage the budget.)

“We handle and bear everything, especially solo parents who are women. So, the unpaid care, hindi kayang presyuhan (it cannot be priced). The unpaid work, hindi kayang matumbasan (is incomparable),” the senator added.

Legarda became emotional as she recalled when her children were young and she was just starting work in the upper chamber.

On International Women's Day, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda becomes emotional as she talks about the unpaid care of women. | @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/UQ35pufYbX

— Daniza Fernandez (@dsfernandez) March 8, 2023

“Napakahirap and I say this kasi ako po ay nandito sa bulwagang ito, ang mga anak ko ay eight years old at five years old na ako’y nagbabalangkas na ng batas, 1998,” she said.

(It isn’t easy and I say this because I was here when my children were eight and five years old, crafting laws back in 1998.)

“There’s some pain and regret but it’s also the work that we do and I sometimes shed a tear when I think about it,” she went on.

Legarda then called on everyone to appreciate women.

“So, you appreciate your wives, and we appreciate all the women of the Senate who are working with us up to late and still when we come home, we can’t just lie down even if you have a helper or a yaya,” she said.

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