Metro Manila – Members of the NCMB GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) convened for the Training on GAD Strategic Framework and Agenda Formulation on 17-19 May 2023 at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, Quezon City.

Executive Director Maria Teresita Lacsamana-Cancio, in her opening remarks, encouraged everyone to reflect on the question, “Nasaan na ba ang NCMB sa GAD program?” to assess the Board’s existing initiatives towards gender responsiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.

She stressed the importance of learning, unlearning, and relearning in order to improve the implementation of the Board’s programs and services aligned with its gender mainstreaming goals.

Undergoing the cycle of learning entailed understanding the power of asking questions. ED Lacsamana-Cancio urged the participants to voice their queries, be receptive to unfamiliar concepts, and learn from subject-matter experts.

The Board invited Lorena Yunque, an independent GAD consultant from the National Gender Resource Pool certified by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), to serve as the resource person for the entire training.

Yunque had been working with the NCMB since 2019, providing guidance in promoting a more inclusive and gender responsive environment for the Board’s personnel and clientele.

The three-day training focused on laying the groundwork for the agency’s six-year GAD Agenda through lectures and workshops. With the guidance of Yunque, the NCMB GFPS did the step-by-step procedure, starting from identifying organization- and client-focused gender issues and ending with prioritizing issues and plotting targets in the GAD Strategic Plan.

The team prepared a re-entry action plan, detailing the steps towards finalization of the agency’s 6-year GAD Agenda. The activities in the plan are projected to be accomplished over the course of the next six (6) months with the completion targeted by the end of September 2023.

The NCMB, along with other government agencies involved in addressing labor and employment concerns, is enjoined to promote the participation and representation of women in the economy and ensure their enjoyment of rights and protection from risks and discriminatory acts. These are in line with the Magna Carta of Women (MCW) and the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan of 2019-2025. Training courses and workshops are concrete proof of the agency’s commitment to promote inclusive growth and equal empowerment.

For more information about this article, you may email ncmbgad@gmail.com.

END/ Eloisa Aquino with inputs from Kinsy Comandante