To further equip the personnel of the Cordillera office if the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) on gender analysis, tools, applications, and mainstreaming in the organization, they underwent the Training on Gender and Budgeting and the Use of Gender and Development (GAD) Assessment Tools on April 25-26, 2023 at the agency’s New Conference Hall in Baguio City. Dr. Ferdinand Gonzales of the Philippine Council for Women (PCW) – National GAD Resource Pool served as the Resource Person.
There were at least 30 participants composed of members of the GAD technical working group/secretariat including technical personnel representatives from the divisions and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-CAR. The training is part of the continuing capacity building of the Gender Focal Point System (GFPS) and other technical personnel of the agency who are directly involved in the implementation of its programs, projects, and activities (PPAs).
The two-day training delved into the use of GAD Assessment Tools and their application in GAD planning and budgeting. These tools are the harmonized gender and development (HGDG) tool; gender mainstreaming evaluation form (GMEF) tool; ten elements of a gender-responsive project; integrating a gender perspective in the project cycle, and GAD focal point system functionality assessment. Workshops were also conducted for the hands-on utilization of the tools. Results gathered from the GAD tools were interpreted and used as a guide for action planning at the end of the training.
Gonzales also discussed how to compute for the five-percent GAD budget as mandated by the Gender and Development budget policy directing all government departments and agencies to allocate a minimum of five percent of their total budget for gender PPAs. According to PCW, the policy was introduced in 1995 as “The Women’s Budget” to support the implementation of programs and projects on the ground with a focus on gender advocacy and commitment to women empowerment.
Moreover, the importance of gender issue identification and gender analysis were emphasized in planning for GAD-responsive PPAs in the organization.
May-Ann Tuba-ang of the Field Operations Division expressed her appreciation for the training together with the resource person. Accordingly, she came to better understand the GAD concepts, particularly the computation of GAD attributions and the use/application of the GAD assessment tools. By JBAgrifino
