Gone are those days wherein women were only focused in their homes and family, doing household chores, attending to her husband and kids’ needs.

Women, Filipino women in particular, nowadays have largely been acknowledged in their roles in the society: whether in arts, politics, administrative or office works, engineering or architectural jobs, or even in the labor force. They know their importance, power and equality with men.

For Mary Ann Mahamis, what men can do, women also can.

Mary Ann is 27 years old, happily married with two kids aged nine (9) and seven (7), both in grade school. She works as a volunteer of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, popularly known as Kalahi-CIDSS, in Barangay Aslum, Alang-alang, Leyte.

“As a volunteer of Kalahi-CIDSS, I work as assistant bookkeeper. I help in the paper work”, Mary Ann said.

Aside from being an assistant bookkeeper, Mary Ann is also involved in the labor force in the construction of the day care center in their community. Out of the fifteen laborers, she was the only woman in their group.

“It’s a good experience working as a laborer. If they (men) can do this kind of job, I can also do it”, Mary Ann quipped, adding “It also give me additional earning for my family”.

Asked if she was not intimidated being the only woman in the group, Mary Ann answered, “No, not all. In fact I enjoy working with them. They are fun to work with.” Although there were times that Mary Ann was teased for being the only woman in the labor force, she doesn’t mind whatever she hears as long as she can do the job. She is paid with the minimum wage, P260.00 per day, same as those men she works with.

“The money I earn doing this job is already of big help for me, considering that my husband is only a carpenter and barely earns P250.00 a day. Though this is only for a week, at least it helps”, Mary Ann said.

Besides working as Kalahi-CIDSS volunteer, Mary Ann is also a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary. She receives cash grants which she uses for her kids’ health and education needs.

“With the little money that my husband earns from his work, it’s still difficult for us to send our kids to school even if they are still in grade school. Of course they have other expenses like projects and requirements. But with the assistance we receive from Pantawid, we don