CEDAW/C/PHI/5-6 liberalization policies on women. The paper recommended the need to review said policies to ensure that economic, social and political rights of women are protected and promoted. 8. Interventions under FPW. For 2001-2004, the government pursues more vigorously the protection of the rights of women in the economy along the direction set by the FPW. It focuses on “promoting women’s economic empowerment through access to capital, market, training, information, technology and technical assistance, just wages and benefits, protection against exploitation, participation in economic decision making and safe working conditions.” Among the new measures are: (a) raising women’s awareness of their economic rights and participation of the community in ensuring women’s economic rights, (b) enhancing capacities of employers to implement women related labor laws, (c) promoting cooperation between women workers and women business owners and managers, and (d) facilitation of women’s participation in economic governance through support of organizing of women in government and business sectors. 9. In the country, the advocacy for gender sensitivity in economic policy making continues. The Women’s Business Council of the Philippines became a major dialogue partner of government on the impact of economic issues on women. Other resource groups produced policy studies on such issues as the impact of globalization and the 1997 economic crisis on women. These have been critical inputs in the government’s efforts to protect women’s economic rights. 10. As reported in Article 11, bilateral and multilateral agreements are being negotiated to protect the rights of overseas workers including women. Mechanisms are in place in some countries. Bilateral arrangements with some host countries (such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, Kuwait) for use of standard employment contracts and social security coverage were forged. 11. Efforts were pursued to increase the accountability of recruitment agencies and Philippine Overseas Labor Officers for the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFW). Stricter rules for the entry of new recruitment agency and stiffer penalties for violators were adopted. 12. The government is rigorously pursuing the modernization of fisheries and agriculture sectors as mandated by the passage of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997. It is hoped that the programs will raise rural income and ensure food security, as well as promote rural development. 13. The labor department, in partnership with government and non-government stakeholders, produced the Country Program for the informal sector, which sought to institutionalize programs and policies for the informal sector through local governments (see Article 11 for details). Approved by the Social Development Committee of the Cabinet in July 2003, the program replicates the lessons from the pilot, including capacity development of local governments to support their respective informal sectors, particularly those in rural areas, and strengthening of organizations of informal sector workers at the local level. 14. As discussed in Article 13 and Article 14, the Philippine Government, cognizant of the threats that economic deregulation and trade liberalization present to some sectors of the economy has 16