The Senate mourns “with profound sorrow” the passing of former Senator Santanina Tillah Rasul last November 28. She was 94.
Senate spokesperson Atty. Arnel Jose S. Bañas, noted that Rasul a native of Sulu, a public school teacher by profession and a product of the University of the Philippines, made history as the first Muslim woman to serve in the Philippine Senate and the first Muslim senator to win reelection.
Rasul served for two consecutive terms in the Senate, from 1987, during the first national elections after the downfall of the Marcos administration, until 1995.
Her legislative legacy includes several landmark laws that reshaped Philippine society, including: • R.A. 6850, granting civil service eligibility to government employees who have worked in a career civil service position for at least seven years • R.A. 6949, which declared March 8 as National Women’s Day, • R.A. 7192, which dismantled gender discrimination, opened the doors of the Philippine Military Academy to women, allocated funds for women in all government agencies, and • R.A. 7168, which elevated the Philippine Normal College to Philippine Normal University.