Here's the deal with the Philippines: Gender Equality does not stand in the Way. In today's culture, men and women are treated differently. This isn't really a point of contention. It's as obvious as day.
However, unlike many Western countries (particularly the United States), we have a culture that does not make a big deal out of it. People in the Philippines understand that men and women are distinct, that women should be respected and treated with respect, and that men should protect and care for women and their families.
This is the traditional view of Philippine society, and everyone recognizes that it is a wise, intelligent, rational, and balanced viewpoint to hold.
While some of this is beginning to shift, and there are some radical feminists appearing on my Facebook feed as a result of being “infected” by the feminist nonsense that the younger generation is picking up from Western culture, most Filipinos still have a realistic, traditional view of gender balance.
Most Filipinos don't make a big deal out of feminism, which is a good thing, but we also have a core gender perspective in our society that is mostly consistent with liberal gender equality ideas — that is, most Filipinos are fine with women working and doing well in the workplace, but recognize that they are different from men and should be protected and afforded certain rights protected, provided with defense, and similar terms.
You could argue that this is due to the fact that the Philippines is a conservative country, implying that we value traditional values. Even in Western cultures, where there is now a horrific slant of gender discrimination due to mad radical feminists and leftists, similar notions of chivalry and protecting women used to exist.
However, Western cultures are more liberal than Asian societies, and the results are clear: mass hysteria and irrational feminists who believe that all white males are to blame. This mad ultra-liberal perspective, which discards the mores and tradition that have taken us to this point in society over the past few decades, is the root of the gender wars.
The Philippines for the most part has managed to retain that traditional outlook that preserves the order of society, but managed to also realize many of the liberal values that allowed women to have suffrage, voting rights, and be career women without stifling women for the most part. And why is that?