Election lawyer honors 447,000 women who fought for rights to vote

MANILA, Philippines — Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal on Thursday honored the more than 447,000 Filipino women who fought for their right to vote in 1937, marking the 89th commemoration of Woman Suffrage Day.

In his statement, Macalintal recalled how Filipino women stood their ground at a time when they faced deep discrimination and were often treated merely as “extensions” of their husbands or fathers.

He said that under the 1935 Constitution, only 300,000 votes in a plebiscite were needed for suffrage to be extended to women, but he emphasized that on April 30, 1937 under Commonwealth Act No. 34, “a staggering 447,725 women cast their votes in favor of suffrage.”

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“Our women of the 1930s were valiantly firm. They stood their ground before the framers of our constitution, arguing that ‘taxation without representation is tyranny.’ They insisted that in a democracy, all citizens—men and women alike—should contribute to deciding the future of their community,” Macalintal said.

The courage of these women, Macalintal said, paved the way for future women leaders in the country, including first woman president, Corazon Aquino; President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; and Vice President Leni Robredo.

“All these achievements are a tribute to those 447,725 suffragists. We can imagine them smiling down on us today, knowing their dedicated efforts were not in vain and changed history,” the lawyer said.

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“Those early pioneers cleared the way for today’s Filipino women to lead with purpose. What was once silence is now the powerful voice driving our nation toward a brighter future,” he added.

Woman Suffrage Day is observed every April 30, as declared under Proclamation No. 2346 issued on March 29, 1984 by then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. /dp