AT THE OFFICE: Woman-in-Organisation
15 November 2025
Concentrating deeply on work at a call centre in Ortigas, Sari nearly missed her name being paged. The OM (Operations Manager) wanted to see her. It was almost 9AM, the time her shift would end, but she nonetheless took the lift to see the boss of her boss. Never having met the OM before, she wondered whether it would be yet another frightful experience. At that time, in another call centre in North EDSA, the OM also wanted to see her. Old memories flooded back, and she automatically found herself steeling her nerves, her heart pounding as she approached the secretary’s desk.
Whilst seated on the sofa waiting to be called in, Sari reminisced about her life. She graduated with a tourism degree from a local state university in Central Luzon, planning to work as a flight attendant or a receptionist in a five-star hotel in Metro Manila. She had always dreamt of wearing nice clothes, of meeting different kinds of people from all over the world! Someday, she had thought, she might even get to travel and visit all those glamorous places shown on television!
But one of her lecturers suggested she first work at a call centre to brush up on her English. She needed to be fluent in English if she hoped to work in a big airline or in some luxury hotel. Taking this to heart, she bid her family a quick farewell and boarded the bus for Metro Manila. She would stay with a distant aunt in Cubao whilst looking for a job at a call centre in the big city.
In no time, she heard of an opening in North EDSA. But the interview process, she was told, would be long and rigorous. Sure enough, after an initial interview, a group of candidates was given a written exam in English proficiency, both grammar and vocabulary. She had been one of the top students in her class, so Sari had no trouble passing the written exam. The oral English exam, however, was another matter. She had problems with accents and enunciations, often confusing her “f”s with her “p”s; her “v”s with her “b”s. Spoken words would not come easily to her, and she fidgeted and stumbled on her answers. She thus had low expectations but was surprised when she received a call offering her the job. No worries, she was informed that further training would be provided to those who were hired—also, that, for their initial position, their telephone spiel would be scripted, and all they had to do was read, practice, and memorise pre-prepared statements.
Sari had a bubbly and vibrant personality. This was her first experience in the big city, and she was amazed at everything she saw. She was also earning a comfortable sum, so she had a bit extra to send to her family back in the province, and all of this within a couple of months after she left home! Things couldn’t be better, she thought.
In her enthusiasm over her new-found job, she smiled and greeted everyone she met in the corridors, sharing their jokes, eager to offer her help to whomever might ask her a favour. Soon, word spread around that there was this “cute, 20-something” who was “friendly” with every guy she met. She was indeed “ripe for the picking!” That no one amongst her more experienced female colleagues warned her about the "tsismis" (gossip) she was inadvertently generating was the one thing Sari would never forget. Instead, she would catch them talking behind her back, whispering and giggling, but would suddenly stop as she walked by. Initially troubled, she soon dismissed her insecurities, surmising that the women might simply be jealous because she was pretty and popular.
After an office party a few months later, Sari was called to go to the OM’s office. When she got there, the lights were dim and the OM was seated on top of his desk. He asked her to sit down and looked intently at her. Keeping her eyes on the floor, she didn’t know what was happening. The OM started by informing her of her reputation in the office, and her closeness to men, especially to the TL (Team Leader), with whom “she apparently stayed the other night”. (The TL did take her home after she had had a few drinks and had told him she felt dizzy--all these were new experiences to her. But that was that). The OM now stood up, and Sari saw his looming shadow on the floor, towering over her, getting bigger and bigger. He went around her, stood behind her, touched her shoulders and started massaging them. “Relax,” he said, “I know how to help you get ahead in this company.” Sari felt her hair standing on her nape as she jerked up, “No! No, Sir! I just want to go home.” She resigned the next day.
For the next two months, and what seemed like a lifetime, Sari moped around her aunt’s place contemplating whether to go home and admit failure or stay in the big city to fight things out. The events of the past months had changed her. Gone was the naïve little girl from the province. In its place was a cynical young woman who was tired of being an “emotional punching bag of entitled Americans” who always needed someone to complain to. Didn’t they know what good things they already had? Finally, she decided to get on with her English practice and thus applied to another call centre, this time in Ortigas.
Her ruminations were interrupted by the secretary, who said the OM was now ready to see her. A smile greeted Sari, “Hi, I am Mrs. Ocampo, your OM”. Mrs. Ocampo was a middle-aged, soft-spoken woman!
Gaping, Sari could only grope for her seat. Then, another thought--perhaps there was a new gossip floating around. What did she do this time? But Mrs Ocampo was gentle. It seemed the TL, another middle-aged woman, had been observing her (Sari) for more than a year since she had been with them. Instead of gossiping, Sari only concentrated on her work. She arrived on time, and the customers were likewise quite pleased with her. On top of that, Sari had good university credentials. The TL is now leaving and is recommending that Sari take her place.
But Mrs. Ocampo had a word of advice, “You know, the TL’s work is to supervise others. There will be about 10 people under you. I think you should be approachable, get to know the other members of the team and learn to work with them. I heard you’re rather aloof, and one even said you’re suplada (haughty). I suggest you now work on your people skills.”
Sari could only smile. “Damn if you do, damn if you don’t”, she couldn’t help saying to herself. “I will try my best, Ma’am,” she managed to reply. “And thank you for your confidence in me.”
Commentary:
Sari’s experience is an occurrence more common than most people realise. We all think that Filipino women are a pride in the practice of gender equality. They are strong and, before the Spanish conquest, had equal status and rights with Filipino men. Even nowadays, it is the woman who starts and leads small ventures: after all, as the family carer, she is usually the more sensitive person to the family’s financial well-being. Moreover, women entrepreneurs are well respected in the marketplace.
Likewise, many large family firms have women in top positions -- admittedly, not because they are women but because they are family members. Amongst board members, the males are often chairmen, and the females are treasurers.
Other sectors where women are well represented are in the Professions. There are now more female doctors than male doctors, at 57% to 43%. Amongst lawyers, 41% of those practising in firms are women (more women than men pass the bar exam, but many don’t join legal firms). The STEM areas are still heavily dominated by men, with engineers comprising only 26% women. Cited problems include gender bias and difficulty in balancing career and family life.
There are naturally also the women-friendly occupations, such as education, NGOs, social work, and general health care, where 75% are women. Men are usually discouraged from entering these sectors, allegedly because of low pay.
Sad to say, the brunt of the gender problem lies amongst women who work in corporate organisations where they are employed staff, as in the case of Sari. Promotions to middle management, or even beyond, can be quite smooth amongst the diligent and most able, as they are usually based on competence and merit.
However, the route to top management is littered with obstacles. As in many other places, including the Philippines, the corporate culture is often designed by men and for male advancement. The old-boys networks make access to critical information difficult. Few and far between are mentorships within the organisation where top managers are mostly men and their different gender-based working styles. This is not to mention that both parties may be wary of sexual innuendos. It is sometimes the case that women, lacking alternative opportunities, use sexual favours as a route to promotion.
Moreover, women have been known to be weak in negotiating skills, perhaps partly in their belief that aggressive women are not favoured in a way similar to aggressive men. In company politics, so necessary for advancement to top management, many women's moral codes prohibit them from what they construe as dirty games. Yet most companies have a pyramidal structure where the "weak" are weeded out at some point. This is magnified by the fact that women are often drawn to functional positions, such as human resources or corporate planning. On the other hand, men are more inclined to occupy line positions, the usual route to general management and eventually, to top management. Thus, it is not only in Western countries where women reach the so-called "glass ceiling",i.e., the awareness of what lies beyond, though unreachable.
What remains perhaps the most discussed amongst these barriers is women's difficulty of balancing their careers with their family responsibilities, extended family and house helpers in many Philippine households, notwithstanding.
It is a small wonder, therefore, that there are currently only 13% women CEOs in Philippine publicly listed companies. Nonetheless, once a CEO, a woman has the power to change workplace culture by creating more women-friendly structures. For example, opportunities for homeworking and flexible working hours give women the freedom to manage their time, organise their work, and build professional relationships, whilst balancing their family responsibilities. These women leaders will pave the way for other women to succeed and follow in their footsteps.
Despite the challenges faced by Filipino corporate women, they have nonetheless benefited from the revolutionary shift in gender roles across the world. Supported by developed countries and international development organisations, many national governments have enacted anti-discriminatory laws.
In the Philippines, Congress passed the comprehensive Magna Carta of Women in 2009. It affirms the equality of women and men, prohibits discrimination against women, and requires both government and private institutions to take active measures to promote gender equality.
The Magna Carta marked the first time that women’s legal rights were formally extended beyond the confines of the family. Heretofore, the Spanish Civil Code of 1889 was extremely patriarchal, and whilst reforms enacted in the codes of 1950 and 1988 liberalised the role of women within the family, they did not address broader issues of gender inequality in society at large. Since 2009, however, the law has recognised that women have rights beyond those of wife and mother, and that gender equality should be extended to economic, political, educational, and other spheres in which women play an important role. In fact, anti-discrimination statutes, although not specifically spelt out, have already been embedded in the Philippine Constitution of 1987.
However, a big glitch in Philippine law remains unaddressed. The affirmative voices of legislation are contradicted by the Family Code (Articles 211; 124-5) and Penal Code (Articles 333-4) still currently in place, remaining inherently unchanged since Spanish rule. For various reasons, Congress is reluctant to harmonise these codes despite campaigns by various women’s groups. Thus, conflicting systems co-exist.
The current Family Code contradicts the more progressive views expressed in the Philippine Constitution and the Magna Carta:
* As head of the family, the husband is the administrator of the conjugal assets, so that in case of disagreement, the husband’s decision shall prevail.
* The father and mother shall jointly exercise parental authority over the persons of their common children, but in case of disagreement, the father’s decision shall prevail.
* The father and mother shall jointly exercise legal guardianship over the property of unemancipated common children, but in case of disagreement, the father’s decision shall prevail.
The Penal Code is equally discriminatory:
* Adultery can only be committed by the wife, and proof of the sexual act will suffice. For the husband, the sexual act will only be illegal if it is committed under scandalous circumstances or if the husband cohabits with his mistress. Adultery carries the penalty of imprisonment. Concubinage carries the penalty of the husband being prohibited from going within a 25 km radius of the family home for a certain period of time.
Institutions and social norms remain influenced by traditional standards, thus resolving the contradictions in law. Many establishments often reinforce the husband’s traditional authority, assuming that the husband is still the head of the family. Courts and barangay mediations likewise often favour traditional gender roles, making men and women still in effect unequal.
All in all, the acknowledgement of women’s rights has come a long way since they earned the right to vote in the early 20th Century – 1918 in the UK, 1920 in the US, and 1937 in the Philippines. We should consider that not too long before then, women were not even allowed to own property or engage in trade. Again, it was not until the 20th century that educational opportunities and literacy rates among women approximated those of men. In many countries today, women read more books than men.
In this country, the arrival of Spanish rule curtailed many rights previously enjoyed by pre-Hispanic Filipino women. Nonetheless, these were not completely eradicated, as in practice, women have retained significant roles, not only within the family, but also in commerce and industry, now progressively being enacted into Philippine law through specific legislations.
Thus, the Gender Equality Index issued by the World Economic Forum for 2024 ranks the Philippines 20th out of 148 countries surveyed, by far the highest in the whole of Asia. The indicators used were (a) economic participation and social equality, (b) educational attainment, (c) health and survival, and (d) political empowerment.