The Gender and Development (GAD) Program

The Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act No. 9710) defines Gender and Development Program (GAD) as the development perspective and process that is participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices and contends that women are active agents of development, not just passive recipients of development.

GAD focuses on Gender Mainstreaming or a strategy for:

• making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, programs and projects in all social, political, civil, and economic spheres so that women and men benefit equally.
• assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programs in all areas and at all levels

(1) Executive Order No. 273 – Approving and Adopting the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD) 1995-2025

Executive Order (EO) 273, issued on September 9, 1995 and signed by President Fidel V. Ramos, adopted the Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development IPPGD) 1995-2025. The PPGD 1995-2025 is a 30 year perspective plan that outlines the policies, strategies, programs and projects that the government must adopt to enable women to participate in and benefit from national development while EO 273 directs all government agencies, departments, bureaus, offices and instrumentalities, including government owned and controlled corporations, at the national level, sub-national and local levels to:

1.1. To take appropriate steps to ensure the full implementation of the policies/strategies and progrms/projects outlined in the Plan;

1.2. To institutionalize Gender and Development (GAD) efforts in government by incorporaing GAD concens, as spelled out in the Plan, in their planning, programming and budgetting processes, but specifically to:

(2) Republic Act No. 8760 – General Appropriations Act (GAA) On Programs/Projects Related to Gender and Development (GAD)

Section 27:

“All concerned government entities shall submit their GAD plan to the National Commission on Women for review. They shall likewise submit annual reports to Congress, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), National Commission on Women (NCW), indicating the accomplishments and amounts utilized to implement programs/projects/activities addressing gendere issues and women empowerment. The evaluaton of agencies utilization of the GAD budget shall be performance based.”

(3) Republic Act No. 9710 – An Act Providing for the Magna Carta of Women

Section 36: Gender Mainstreaming as a Strategy for Implementing the Magna Carta of Women

“All government departments, including their attached agencies, offices, bureaus, state universities and colleges, government owned and controlled coporations, local government units and all other government instrumentalities shall adopt gender mainstreaming as a strategy to promote women’s human rights and eliminate gender discrimination in their systems, structures, policies, programs, processes and procedures.

Section 36-B: Creation and/or Strengthening of the GAD Focal Points (GFP)

“All concerned government agencies and instrumentalities mentioned above shall establish or strengthen their GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) or a similar GAD mechanism to catalyze and accelerate gender mainstreaming within the agency.

In addition to Joint Circular 99-4 issued by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the DBM and NCRFW, additional sets of guidelines, as deemed necessary, shall be formulated, for the implementation of GAD-related programs/projects/activities.

In compliance and in accordance with the above directives, GSIS issued the following office orders that would mainstream and pursue the mandatory implementation of the said program.

In 2011, GSIS issued Office Order No. 196-13, reconstituting the following as GSIS Gender and Development Committee Members:

In July 2011, Mr. Robert G. Vergara, GSIS President and General Manager issued Office Order No. 205-13, amending Officer Order No. 196-13 on the Composition of the GSIS Gender and Development (GAD) Committee, consistent with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Memorandum Circular No. 2011-01, as follows:

The tasks of the GAD Committee Members, among others, is to facilitate the institutionalization of GAD mainstreaming activities, identify GAD strategies, programs, activities and projects in accordance with the identified priorities of the agency in response to the gender issued faced by its members, stakeholders and employees. It shall also ensure the timely submission of the GAD Plan and Budget, Accomplishement Report and other GAD related reports to the PCW and to DBM.

On the other hand, the TWG/Secretariat facilitates the implementation of the gender mainstreaming efforts of the agency through the GAD planning and budgeting process.

The GAD Plan and Budget is a systematic program carried organization wide through the annual development and implementation of programs, activities and projects addressing gender issues and concerns in the organization and constituencies by utilizing at least 5% of the total budget allocation and in the context of GSIS mandate.

• 2014 – GSIS Members’ Hour National Women’s Month Celebration Episode. The episode can be downloaded at: http:/gsismembershour
• 2015 – GSIS’s Participation in the All-Women Cast Lupang Hinirang Video during the Flag Raising Ceremony and agency’s NWMC activities. The music video can be downlowded at http://tiny.cc/allwomenlupanghinirang
• 2015 – GSIS and PCW Launched Photo Contest for 2015 Women’s Month Celebration

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), in partnership with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), launched a nationwide photo contest as part of its calendar of activities for the upcoming National Women’s Month Celebration.

The 2015 Women’s Month Photo Contest aims to capture the essential representation and role being played by Filipino women in leadership, power and decision making, in consonance to this year’s NWMC theme “Juana, Desisyon Mo ay Mahalaga sa Kinabukasan ng Bawat Isa, Ikaw Na!”

Open to all Filipino amateur photo enthusiasts, the contest also intends to get the public perception on women’s roles in politics or decision-making process.

The deadline of submission of entries is on March 12, 2015.

Top 12 entries will receive P10,000 cash prize and certificate of appreciation. The awarding ceremony is set on March 26, 2015, 5 p.m. at the GSIS Theater, Pasay City.

For the full mechanics of the contest, kindly visit http://pcw.gov.ph/event/2015-womens-month-photo-contest.

Press release from the Philippine Commission on Women

2018 – 2018 National Women’s Month Celebration, GSIS Theatre, Pasay City, 1:00 – 5:00 PM (For Luzon-based participants)

Theme: We Make Change Work For Women

NCRTC personnel attended the WE Make Change: Women Inspiring Women Series held at GSIS Theatre, Pasay City on March 8, 2018 in coordination with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW). Wearing the official campaign purple shirts, the participants actively participated with the discussions and activities during the session.

The Forum aims to celebrate women’s journey and shares inspiring stories of change in their lives and in their chosen vocation, the speakers encourage their fellow women to be empowered change agents. It also served as a venue for women to inspire and appreciate each other, and create an environment supportive with women’s fate, experiences and success.

The following speakers shared their stories and experiences as private individuals and as a woman:

On having the Courage to Start Again
Hon. Raissa Laurel-Subijano
Councilor, San Juan City
2010 Bar Blast Survivor

On braving life’s greatest storms
Ms. Maria Katrina Manalo
CEO/Founder, Aurelia and Amelia

On Transformative Leadership and battling the “Big C”
Dr. Brenda L. Nazareth-Manzano
USEC for Regional Operations, Department of Science and Technology

Brave and fearless: Women as storytellers
Ms. Ces Oreña Drilon
Award-winning broadcast journalist
Content and Aquisition Head,
ABS-CBN Lifestyle Ecosystem Group

Pertinent Laws:

• Proclamation No. 224 s. 1988 – declaring the first week of March each year as Women’s Week and March 8 as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day;
• Proclamation No. 227 s. 1988 – providing for the observance of the Month of March as Women’s Role in History Month; and
• Republic Act 910 – An Act Providing for the Magna Carta for Women
• Republic Act (RA) 6949 s. 1990 – declaring March 8 of every year as National Women’s Day
• Republic Act 8760 – General Appropriations Act of 2000 (An Act Appropriating funds for the Operation of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines from January 1 to December 31, 2000, and for other Purposes.

Memorandum Circulars:

• MC 2011-01 – Guidelines for the creation, strengthening, and institutionalization of the Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS)

Department Memorandum:

• DOF Memo dated November 13, 2018- GAD Planning and Budgeting for FY 2020

Office Orders:

• Office Order No. 196-13 – Reconstitution of GSIS Committees
• Officer Order No. 205-13 – Amending Office Order No. 196-13 on the Composition of GSIS Gender and Development (GAD) Committee
• Office Order No. 247-14 – Use and Promotion of Gender Fair Language

Policy and Procedural Guidelines:

• PPG 228-13 – Office Rules on allowing the solo parent employee adopt a flexible work schedule subject to applicable rules and regulations as well as considering solo parent/parental, maternity and paternity leave as an official leave of absence

GSIS Programs/Activities:

• 2014 – Lecture on the use of Gender Fair Language
• 2015 –
• 2016 –
• 2017 –
• 2018 – October 26, 2018- GSIS Gender Analysis
  November 9, 2018- Gender Audit Training
  November 16, 2018- Sex Disaggregated Database Training –