Transcript of Senator Pia S. Cayetano’s interpellation on SB 1410: Declaring the First Day of February of Every Year as ‘National Hijab Day’
Thank you, Mr. President. With the indulgence of our colleagues, the Senator from Bicol, may I just ask very few questions and make comments? Thank you.
Mr. Senate President, gusto ko rin ipaalam sa inyo [na] home to the largest community of Muslims outside of Mindanao ang Taguig City po. Siguro ang kapatid ko si [Sen. Alan Cayetano] would also have a lot of insight on this because we have lived very harmoniously with our Muslim brothers and sisters in Taguig City.
Mr. President, with the indulgence of our colleague, napaka-importante ng diskusyon pagdating sa relihiyon dahil it can be a means of cultivating harmony among us…
On that note, I will just share an anecdote which shows how this [SB 1410] can be such a wonderful measure in terms of highlighting the recognition of a religion…
Yung gusto kong i-share po sa inyo, this happened, I probably saw this two years ago, this video of… FIFA. Worldwide, maraming fans po yan, pati nanay ko hindi na ata natulog, sa kakapanood ng football.
Pero ang example na gusto kong i-share sa inyo was a football game some years ago. I don’t even remember the country. Pero may isang player na babae na naka-hijab siya. Sa dala ng ang sport na yan eh tatakbo ka nang mabilis, may kaunting sanggahan, natanggal ho ang hijab niya, so ang ginawa ng players, both teammates niya and opposing team, pinaligiran siyang ganun para matakpan siya kasi alam nila na para sa kanya, hindi tama na, hindi siya komportableng natanggal ang hijab niya in public. So tinakpan siya para maayos niya ulit at nagtuloy ang laro.
May the records show, napakaganda ng ngiti ng ating kasama na taga Bicol. He recognizes the importance of that. Ako po na hindi Muslim, pero naintindihan ko ang concept na yun.
Doon ho ako hanga sa bill niyo dahil ang purpose ng… ang declaration of policy dito is recognizing the role of women in nation-building and ensuring the fundamental equality of women and men before the law…
This example showed na kung kailangan natin gumawa ng mga polisiya na magbibigay proteksyon sa kababaihan, at sa kanilang paniniwala, gagawin ho natin.
Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph
