Reclaiming the Babaylan Spirit for Bagong Pilipinas!

Reclaiming the Babaylan Spirit for Bagong Pilipinas!

Philippine Commission on Women's Statement on the 2026 National Women's Month Celebration

Maligayang Buwan ng Kababaihan!

Kakaiba po ang pagdiriwang natin sa taong ito. The 2026 National Women's Month Celebration is not like the usual honoring of achievements and contributions of Filipino women. This year marks the start of active restoration. For the Filipino women, the journey toward gender equality is now an act of sovereign reclamation.

We are peeling back the colonial layers that taught us to be inferior, weak, and subordinate. We are embracing the spirit of the Babaylan - our pre-colonial forebears who were healers, scholars, political anchors, and spiritual navigators of our peoples' identity. We will remind ourselves of our roots and remember that women's empowerment is neither a recent nor foreign construct. It is a birthright we are now taking back!

The Babaylan was never a lost figure of the past, but the original DNA of who we are as leaders, social, economic and political authorities, and masters of harmony and balance. Today, that same spirit is reflected in the tangible data of our national heartbeat:

• The Healer lives in the 51% decrease in maternal mortality over the last two decades, as we reclaim the sanctity of women's health and bodily autonomy ^[1].
• The Scholar lives in the 58% of women now dominating tertiary education, sharpening the intellect of our nation and leading our professional sectors ^[2].
• The Provider lives in the women-led MSMEs that power 60% of our registered enterprises, anchoring our economic stability and community resilience ^[3].

As the Philippines assumes the ASEAN Chairship and leads the ASEAN Committee on Women, we come as masters of an ancient tradition of equity. To "Lead like the Babaylan" is to navigate the complexities of peace, security, and digital transformation with the same fierce, life-affirming wisdom that our foremothers once held over our islands. As stewards of Bagong Pilipinas, Filipino women are not merely silent partners and beneficiaries of ASEAN's regional progress; they are strategists, innovators, and anchors of sustainability.

Our call to action is to restore our rightful place as equal in all spheres of life. We challenge every Filipino woman and girl to:

L - liberate yourself from barriers that limit your potential!

E - embrace the power to empower - yourself and others!

A - assert your voice with courage, truth, clarity, and conviction!

D- devote your talents to the building of Bagong Pilipinas and ASEAN!

Leading as a woman is about remembering who we have always been: an authority with integrity, compassion, wisdom, and fire for humanity and country. Mabuhay ang diwa ng Babaylan! Mabuhay ang kababaihang Pilipino! Lead like a Babaylan, Filipinas!

References:

^{[1]Maternal Health:Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Department of Health (DOH). (2025). Trends in Maternal Mortality 2006-2025. Reflecting a reduction from 162 to 78-80 deaths per 100,000 live births, representing a 51% decrease.}

^{[2]Education:Commission on Higher Education (CHED). (2024). Higher Education Data Profile. Confirming that women comprise approximately 58% of graduates in tertiary education.}

^{[3]Economic Participation:Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). (2025). MSME Sectoral Report. Highlighting that nearly 60% of all registered Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in the Philippines are owned or led by women.}