"Women in Safe Environment" was the theme of a national conference aimed at increasing awareness in the household of environmental issues and identifying projects which would encourage homemakers to contribute to environmental management.
The conference was held June 25-27, 1990, at the Institute of Science, Mathematics and Education Development (ISMED),University of the Philippines (UP) campus in Diliman, Quezon City. The sponsor was the Philippine Women's University (PWU), representing the Asia-Pacific Women's Environmental Network.
PWU vice president for planning, development and special projects Encamacion Rarallo, who served in the conference secretariat, noted that "women constitute a vital role in the management of the environment. They can effectively promote a clean and safe environment. By being enlightened consumers of biodegradable products and preserving nonrenewable resources, they can prevent land, water, air and noise pollution."
She said the network was put up in answer to the need to consolidate and communicate efforts of global/regional actions towards environmental protection and management, to facilitate coordination and information exchange among women organizations, documentation and and dissemination of sound environmental management practices, testing and evaluation of technologies and products for their effects, good or bad, on the environment.
The plenary session topics and their respective speakers were: "Women and Environmentally Critical Areas (Pollution and Poverty)" by UP Dean Asteya Santiago; "Risks of Toxic and Hazardous Substances and Their Impact on Women," Dr. Corazon PB. Claudio, president of Sitech Resource Group, Inc.; "Use of Home Pesticides," Dr. Salome del Rosario, consultant, PWU office of the vice president for planning; "The Multiple Roles of Women in Upland Production and Conservation System," Dr. Corazon B. Lamug, research director of the UP Los Baños in Laguna;
"Women in Home Recycling Centers for Development of Recycling Cooperatives," Dr. Emma Abane- Pujalte, president and executive officer of Irren Foundation, Inc.; "Household Waste Management," Ms. Leonardo Camacho of the Women Balikatan Movement, Inc.; "Environmental Education at All Levels," Dr. Leticia Cortez, U P ISMED; "Government Organization," Prof. Rosario Jimenez, UP School for Urban and Regional Planning;
"Science, Technology and the Environment," Dr. Juanita Manalo, director of the P W U Science and Mathematics Research Center; "The Role of External Assistance in the
Implementation of Environmental Projects and Programs," Ms. Lirio T. Abuyuan, assistant secretary for foreign-assisted. Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and "Shall We Recycle Our Waste to Maintain Ecology?," Dr. Metodio Palaypay.