Rose Marie J. Arenas has an enduring advocacy for women, children and migrant workers. She is a philanthropist, a calling she has lived by for more than three decades, helping the underprivileged members of society, specially orphaned and street children. She became a Member of Parliament, the House of Representatives of the Philippines, in 2013, and was re-elected for a second term in 2016. She is the Chair of the Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy and the Vice Chair of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, and is the incumbent Senior Vice President for the Association of Women Legislators Foundation of the Philippines.
She is a two term member of the Committee on Women and Gender Equality and has been at the forefront of legislation to enhance the rights of women and most recently, has sponsored the 100 day paid Maternity Leave Law. She is the principal author of Republic Act 10747 otherwise known as Rare Diseases Act enacted in 2015, in response to the clamour of families of children afflicted with rare diseases. She has also authored and sponsored a variety of bills that are designed to alleviate the hardships of the marginalized sectors, such as the creation of a department for migrant workers to provide comprehensive service to overseas Filipino workers; the creation of information and communications technology (ICT) hubs in various districts away from traditional capitals; and for the protection of whistle blowers, among others.
