#2030NOW: Advocates rethink gender and development in the Philippines

Advocates talk about the importance of ending gender inequality during one of the Huddle
sessions of the 2019 Social Good Summit

Bianca Velasco
Published 12:29 AM, September 28, 2019
Updated 12:29 AM, September 28, 2019
https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/240707-2030-now-advocates-rethink-gender-development-
philippines

MANILA, Philippines – How can we mainstream gender issues and promote gender equality?
Where do women's rights intersect with LGBTQ+ rights when we talk about gender inequality?

These were some of the questions raised by advocates during the Social Good Summit gender
equality Huddle session on Saturday, September 21.

Highlighting the importance of the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality, advocates
explained the challenges of ending gender inequality and including LGBTQ+ issues in the global
conversation.

While the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals carry gender equality as one of its
core tenets, it is limited to women's rights, leaving behind a huge gap in the framing of solutions
to "leave no one behind."

Rethinking GAD

In the Philippines, the current gender equality policy being implemented is the Gender and
Development (GAD) budget policy under Republic Act No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women.
The policy aims to allocate 5% of the local government unit's (LGUs) internal revenue
allotment for gender development projects.

However, local government units are struggling to grasp where and how to fully make use of this
budget. (READ: Oh my GAD: PH allots billions for gender, dev't)

Maica Teves, executive director of gender and development organization SPARK

Philippines, pointed out how most of these projects are wasted on activities such as Zumba and
women's night that add little to no value to the cause.
In recent years, the Commision on Audit has flagged different government bodies' misuse of
GAD budget for non GAD-related activities.

Advocates have called this out, saying the budget should have been used in line with the GAD
Agenda and the GAD Plan, a systematically designed set of programs, projects, and activities with
a corresponding budget that respond to the gender issues and concerns of a particular
government agency or unit and its constituents.

The Philippine GAD policy was implemented to address issues of discrimination and gender-
based violence in the society. A similar struggle is being fought by the LGBTQ+ community.

While the existing GAD code limits its scope to the women sector, advocates believe the policy
must recognize all genders.

LGBTQ+ and gender equality

The LGBTQ+ community, after not being included in the implementation of GAD, resorted to
lobbying for a separate bill or the SOGIE equality bill. The bill hopes to address gender issues
specific to LGBTQ+ rights but intersecting with women's rights. (Read: SOGIE equality in the
Philippines)

As of this writing, there are around 22 to 25 LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination ordinances adopted by

various LGUs in the country. So far, only two LGUs have implementing rules and regulations (IRR)
in place.

Nicky Castillo, LGBTQ+ rights advocate and coordinator of Metro Manila Pride, emphasized how
IRRs are important in the actual implementation of the ordinances.

"Kahit may mga batas in place, hindi pa rin tapos ang trabaho natin as citizens. Kailangan
kumakatok tayo sa mga gobyerno lalo na hindi pa siya institutionalized," Castillo said.

(Even though there are existing laws in place on the protection of the LGBTQ+ community, our
duty as citizens is far from over. We need to alert the government especially because the policies
have not yet been institutionalized.)
Gender and Development (GAD) Programs of Selected Local Communities in Mindanao Philippines

Victoria O. Sumanpan | Oliva P. Canencia

Discipline: Social Science
https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=2295

Abstract:

Gender and Development (GAD) is one international concern that many countries had vowed to
address (Beijing, 1990). In the Philippines it has been enacted into a law called EO 273 (1995-2025)
or the Philippine Plan for Gender Development. The study aimed at assessing the Cagayan de Oro
City sampled local communities of their implementation of EO 273 and the utilization of the 5%
allotted for Gender and Development (GAD) programs, projects and activities. The twenty (20)
sampled communities were those with top ten (10) highest Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and
another ten (10) local communities which belong to the lowest IRA. Some 220 respondents
answered the survey questionnaire. Statistics employed were Pearson Correlation procedure and
t-test for two independent groups. Findings revealed that all the selected sampled local
communities were not able to spend the 5% mandated for GAD PPAs. Therefore, EO 273 was not
fully implemented although minimal expenditures were done for GAD activities such as:
Celebration of International Women’s Day annually. Lack of awareness of the EO 273 was noted.
The respondents however, wanted more advocacy-seminar/trainings on the EO 273. The
respondents were highly satisfied with projects on health and nutrition like feeding program while
they expressed low satisfaction on project on AIDS. As to socio-cultural projects, the respondents
were most satisfied on the aspect on leadership. On economic projects, the most satisfying was
about cooperatives and recycling of solid waste while business and employment got low
satisfaction.

Gender and Development (GAD) Awareness in a Higher Education Institution

International Journal of Educational Science and Research (IJESR), Vol. 6, Issue 3, June 2016
12 Pages Posted: 14 Sep 2016

Concepcion Sumadsad
Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Ariel Tuazon
Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Date Written: June 30, 2016

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2838156

Abstract
In spite of the Philippines’ stellar position among countries with viable track records in gender
equality, there is still a need to propagate such advocacy to the widest audience as possible. As
such, the study aimed to determine school community awareness on Gender and Development
(GAD) in a higher education institution as a potential basis for its comprehensive dissemination.
Twenty-two faculty members, eleven administrative staff and fifty-two graduating students
participated in the investigation. A researcher-made questionnaire was crafted to cull out
respondents’ GAD perceptions and impressions. Likert scale in conjunction with mean and
ranking scheme was utilized. Faculty members, staff and students of Polytechnic University of
the Philippines – Sto. Tomas Branch, as a whole, are found aware of GAD. While they are
moderately aware of gender issues and government agencies integrating GAD plan to programs,
projects and activities, however, they are aware of gender roles and national mandates and
other related laws. Furthermore, school community members are conscious of significant factors
affecting GAD awareness. In this regard, sustainability of the GAD program should be ensured
through wider information dissemination using print and non-print forms; establishment of
network and linkages among constituents working on gender concerns to share information and
strategies; and creation of opportunities for collaboration through peer-peer exchanges and
exposure visits. The authorities should give full support to GAD-initiated activities and should
create a monitoring body to ensure compliance of government agencies with GAD provisions
and to assist in promoting knowledge and appreciation of the GAD programs and activities.

Keywords: Gender and Development (GAD), Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment, Gender
Issues, Gender Roles

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40003337?seq=1
Mamasapano town earns COA praise for women-friendly programs
The Commission on Audit says the local government managed to make the most out of its
meager funds by implementing projects that made a big impact

Rappler.com
Published 6:45 PM, July 09, 2017
Updated 6:45 PM, July 09, 2017
https://www.rappler.com/nation/175135-coa-mamasapano-audit-report-2016-women-friendly-
programs

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) commended the local government
of Mamasapano, Maguindanao for completing programs and projects targeted for women.

"The management should be acknowledged for their effective utilization of their 5% Gender and
Development Fund and be commended for the completion of its various programs which are
beneficial to its constituents, particularly the women," read COA's 2016 audit report on the
municipality, released on June 29.

State auditors praised the Mamasapano local government's implementation of its Gender and
Development (GAD) programs and use of its 20% Economic Development Fund and Special
Education Fund.

Mamasapano was able to allocate the full 5% of its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) or around
P3.37 million, for its GAD Fund, as mandated by law.

The local government funded projects such as livelihood trainings, enrolled women in the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), conducted anti-sexual harassment
workshops, built a GAD training center, and even worked on sanitation issues.

COA also said the municipality used 20% of its IRA or around P12.505 million to fix 4 existing
farm-to-market roads, desilt and dredge waterways, and repair a flood-control dike, among
others.

The Special Education Fund – P165,000 – was used to repair public school buildings in the
municipality.

State auditors said the Mamasapano local government managed to make "optimal use" of its
limited resources through programs that made a big impact on residents.

The local government wants to focus on social development and environment management
projects for 2017.
COA recommended that the local government include disaster, calamity, and crisis-preparedness
programs for women in their locality for 2017. It also recommended that the Special Education
Fund be used to improve school facilities and equipment, conduct education research, purchase
books, and develop sports programs.

Mamasapano is infamous for being the site of a deadly clash between local armed groups and
members of the Philippine National Police's Special Action Force (SAF) in 2015. SAF troopers
were on a mission to neutralize wanted Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, who
was hiding in a remote village in the town.

The botched operation claimed the lives of more than 60 Filipinos, including 44 SAF troopers as
well as armed men and civilians. – Rappler.com

Analysis on its impact to educational system

Gender and Development (GAD) – refers to 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.

The Philippines, our country have experienced a lot regarding the gender inequality or
discrimination for the past years and recently when Gender and Development(GAD)
was released, it became a great help in every individual in our country. And now
connecting it to our society, there are already a practices in applying it but the sad
reality slaps back that some people are against of it and will not even give a blink to give
it a chance. In the other hand, GAD has also its impact in our educational system.
Applying it to schools made a good impact to the development of each learners, that it
would help to make them feel that learning is not looking to what are the things you can
do based on your gender but it will base on what you can actually do as an individual.
The learners will feel secured, confident and more interactive in learning. There are still
things that needed to be polished regarding the matter but the good thing is as time
passes by the certain issue becomes acceptable and being applied in a good way.s