In celebration of National Women’s month, the Department of Science and Technology –North Luzon Cluster composed of Regions CAR, I, II and III conducted a virtual forum on “Gender Mainstreaming in the Community” on March 22, 2022 with DOST-CAR at the helm.
ASec Diane Ignacio, DOST Assistant Secretary for Human Resources Management, Management Services, and Special Concerns, opened the forum by stating, “all departments shall adopt gender mainstreaming as a strategy to promote women’s rights and eliminate gender discrimination in their systems, structures, policies, programs, and procedure”. She also added that gender mainstreaming promotes gender-sensitive societies shared by women and men in equal measure.
As part of the forum, Dr. Gerlyn V. Arciaga, Development Management Officer of Davao City Mayor’s Office, shared the gender mainstreaming efforts of Davao City on the development of gender sensitive policies and concepts for gender equality and women empowerment. In 2015, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Davao City was among the first 5 LGUs recognized by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) for its notable Gender and Development (GAD) initiatives and programs.
Furthermore, the DOST North Luzon Cluster’s gender mainstream efforts in the implementation of Community Empowerment thru Science and Technology (CEST) project to identified communities was also highlighted in the forum. The CEST project aims to improve the standard of living of the economically challenged communities through its 5 entry points namely economic development, health and nutrition, environmental protection and conservation, human resource development, and disaster risk reduction and climate mitigation.
CEST as Response to Women’s Economic Empowerment in CAR
The DOST-CAR has widely implemented the CEST project in the vulnerable areas of the Cordillera Administrative Region with 49 such projects implemented in 31 municipalities. Specifically, Abra has covered 6 municipalities, Apayao- 4, Benguet- 4, Ifugao- 6, Kalinga- 5, and Mountain Province- 6. All projects had a funding requirement of PhP38,862,176 covering all 5 entry points of the CEST program.
During the forum on gender mainstreaming, the CEST Tublay was featured for CAR. Highlighted initiatives include the provision of S&T equipment for peanut butter and other peanut product processing to the Ambassador of Solo Parents Organization (ASPO); Employability Enhancement of the Differently Abled Person of Tublay through S&T Intervention by Providing Proper Sewing Equipment; Upgrading of Vermicompost Production for the Bakigue MPC; Enhancement of the Food Processing of Togoy Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative through S&T Intervention; Alternative Technology on Plastic Waste Reduction Management for the Municipality of Tublay, Benguet; Scholarship Support; Provision of Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Stations (STARBOOKS); Development of Site-specific Threshold for Deep-Seated Landslides and Slope Failures (DYNASLOPE) of DOST-PHILVOLCS; and Disaster Risk Reduction of Climate Change Impacts in Vegetable Terrace Farms in Benguet.
Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro also expressed his gratitude to the DOST interventions that has greatly helped this 5th class municipality “but is made of 1st class people”, he added.
In her closing remarks, DOST-CAR Regional Director Nancy Bantog extended her appreciation to the DOST North Luzon Cluster as well as the invited guests and reactors who all contributed to the success of the activity. “We are all the more encouraged in pursuing our mantra, science for the people, and in achieving our goal for sustainable and inclusive men and women development” she asserted.
