In response to a question on the Rurzil Improvement Clubs, rural women. member6 were informed that the activitieo were funded centrally from the Rural women benefited from the budget of the Department of Agriculture. activities of the Clubs, but she considered that the benefits to women, and to could be increased if the activities for rural women the oountry as a whole. focused on their role in farming rather than in peripheral ocoupations. 219. Responding to questions on article 16, the representative stated that inheritance laws in the Philippines did not discriminate against women or illegitimate obildren. Strict rules existed aovering the adoption of Filipino In response to a question on whether there haa children by foreign nationals. -Ibeen any ca6e6 before the courts of a husband objecting to hi6 wife seeking ,employment, the representative replied in the affirmative but said that the information was not well documented. One example she gave war: of a husband who baa unsuccessfully sued a certain agenoy for assigning his wife overseas. 220. The representative concluded by stating that the de facto implementation ~~~ mmm-mYrof the provisions seeking to remove discrimination was a problem in the ~~ --Philippines. Gender-consciousness-raising programmes were being introduced train judge6 and legal personnel with regard to women’s issues. Equally ~. ~important was the need to make women aware of the laws and to educate them ~~ =regarding their rights. 221. The Committee thanked the representative for her informative presentation ,and f rantne66. The Philippine Government was congratulated on the progress had made to eliminate discrimination against women, particularly in the ‘control of the mail-order bride trade, the protection of homeworkers, the ,~prevention of violence against women in the family and the promotion of agrarian reform. It was commended on the awareness-raising campaign of judicial personnel in particular. The Government was also commended for having followed the guidelines for the preparation of the second periodic report,which was a great improvement on the initial one. to it ,-222. Responding to a follow-up question On the suffering that was experienced _by women as refugee6 within the Philippines owing to the recent civil unrest, the representative informed members that the incidence of violence against .:women and of women who were victims of military action in certain areas of the -$ouutry would become visible when the relevant sections had been added to the --Philippine Development Plan for Women. -The non-governmental organixations +ere particularly active. The representative replied to a question on the -implementation of a series of seminars on gender analysis in project ~.development for key planners and technical personnel by confirming that all 13 ..seminars had.been conducted prior to the development of the Plan. The programme of tho Canadian International Development Agency had included a -five-year grant to aontinue the series and to extend it to all level6 of the Goyer&neotc.including the Cebinet. 223. Responding to a suggestion from member6 that a ministerial body for women’s affair6 would be beneficial, the repre6entative oaid that the issue had been disaussed but it was considered more advantageous for NCRM to be closely associated with the President’s Office and to work with all government off-ices under the broad makdate accorded it under Sxecutive Order 346. -44-