Ilagan currently serves as GWP’s national chairperson.
In a statement, Gabriela said the former Davao City councilor was nominated during the 2nd National Convention of the party-list group held Thursday at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City and attended by 2,500 women from all over the country.
Ilagan had taught at the Ateneo de Davao University. She also served as a community trainer on such issues as gender sensitivity, violence against women and children, and family health care.
The group said Ilagan’s nomination would give Mindanao women a voice in legislation. It noted that women and children are the primary victims of armed conflict and human rights violations in Mindanao.
"Gabriela Women's Party is a sectoral party dedicated to promote the rights and welfare of under-represented Filipino women through its participation in the country's electoral system and organs of governance. This coming election, we aim to have the maximum seats allowed for a party-list," Ilagan said.
"Despite the challenges that Gabriela fought over the years, we are more determined to have more representatives in the Congress for the women to carry on the advancement of women's rights and welfare in the country. The Gabriela Women's Party also seeks to harness the potentials, initiatives, skills of marginalized women towards empowerment and active participation in governance, and towards justice and equality," she added.
Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza had filed a total of 23 bills and 29 resolutions concerning women and children. She also authored other legislations that seek to uphold the interests of all marginalized sectors.
Aside from choosing nominees for the May 2007 elections, GWP also passed resolutions calling on the government to stop the further expansion of banana plantations in the country, ban the use of aerial spraying in banana plantations, resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and strictly implement agreements with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front.
The group further said it is opposed to the entry and continued operations of foreign large-scale mining corporations. (MindaNews)
