52. The Commission has Initiated several series of consultations and dialogues with government agencies as well as non-governmental entities that can directly help to promote the concept and generate awareness of human rights. This has reinforced the Commission's coordinative task in finding administrative and other alternative resolving human rights issues. legal, measures in elections has been expressed by important challenges still lie ahead. ll. INFORMATION THE COVENANT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION 58. This issue is addressed in paragraphs 464-475 of the second and third reports of the Philippines on implementation of the ICCPR (CCPR/C/PHL/2002/2- 54. This issue is addressed in paragraphs 447-463 of the second and third reports of the Philippine on implementation of the ICCPR (CCPR/C/PHL/2002/2; see appendix A). 55. On 10 May 2004, national elections were held in the country, Prior thereto, or on 13 February 2003, RA 9189, otherwise known as the Absentee Voting Law, was enacted into law to enable absentee voting for all overseas Filipinos. The law covers all Filipinos abroad possess valid Philippine passports and have B). 59. In 2004, the DOH led concerned government agencies in conducting the nationwide registration for persons with disability. The program though suffered from a low turn-out of registrants. Article 3 60. The fifth and sixth implementation reports PHI/5-6) were considered consolidated on CEDAW Philippines (CEDAWI/C/ by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women last 15 August 2006. (Portions of the report are attached as appendix C), OF Article 1 who Filipinos, Article 2 see appendix 53. Through its Public Information and Education Office, the PCHR undertakes education, training and dissemination of human rights information in order to enhance public awareness, knowledge and understanding of the principles and concepts of human rights. The Commission has established 12 regional offices and four sub-offices nationwide to expedite investigations and provide easy access to human rights victims, as well as for dissemination of information concerning human rights. the not renounced their Filipino citizenship. It aims to ensure equal opportunity and access to all qualified overseas 61. Section 14, Article Il of the 1987 Constitution provides that “the State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men.” Also, Section 14, Article. XIll guarantees working women the right to safe and healthy working conditions, taking into account their maternal functions, Other specific provisions that guarantee women’s rights are Section 5(2), which upholds the right of women to sectoral representation in national and local legislative bodies, and Article IV, which grants them equal citizenship rights. Section 1(2), Article IV of the Constitution provides that any child whose father or mother is a citizen of the Philippines may be recognized as a Filipino citizen under existing laws. Filipinos in the exercise of suffrage regardless of their 62. Towards this end, the Government of the Philippines has adopted laws to correct the historical location. disadvantages of women 56. The DFA, through the Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat, registered 364,187 Filipino absentee voters abroad in 84 Philippine Embassies, Consulates and other foreign service establishments. A total of 233,092 (65 per cent) turned out to vote for the 2004 elections in the more than 100 overseas election precincts. 57. Several international organizations came to observe the conduct of elections in the country and reinforce local monitoring. Some of the observers commended the Filipino people for their continued vigilance to achieve free and fair elections. Others observed that while a genuine desire for credible 68 cure ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS HANDBOOK in various aspects of life. These include laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, emphasizing the right to education of women and the girl child, removing obstacles to women’s entry into the police and military, and criminalizing sexual harassment in educational and training environment and in the workplace. 63. The laws on nationality provide equal rights to Filipino women and men to acquire, change or retain their citizenship or that of their children. 64, Equality of men and women in terms of remuneration for work, equal pay for work of equal value, and conditions of work is a constitutional policy enshrined in Art. ll, Sec, 14 of the Constitution.