The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) in partnership with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), and the Municipality of Garchitorena, conducted a comprehensive gender-sensitivity training with the goal of improving the Barangay Gender and Development (GAD) Plan Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 on August 19-20, 2024 in Garchitorena, Camarines Sur.
The training is a part of a larger effort to integrate gender perspectives into local governance. The initiative’s goals are specifically to address gender disparities, raise awareness of gender issues, and provide local officials with the resources they need to successfully implement gender-responsive projects, programs, and activities (PPAs). The effort aims to increase funding for community-based programs that directly assist women, children, and underprivileged groups by improving the GAD Plan Budget.
As the activity’s resource speaker, Dr. Glenn Redecilla, a faculty expert from CBSUA and the RCGAD Focal Person, emphasized the significance of understanding gender roles and the effects of gender disparities on community development.
During the span of the two days of the activity, participants took part in several interactive tasks, such as workshops and group discussions, where they identified specific gender concerns in their barangays and came up with solutions.
Furthermore, Kristoffer Hufrancia, the Municipal Local Government Operations Officer, talked about the Magna Carta of Women localization principles and emphasized the need for the suggested initiatives to be SMART, or specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. These conversations were essential to creating an improved GAD Plan that takes into account the particular requirements of each barangay in Garchitorena.
The Community-Led Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (CoLMEAL) was also presented headed by Jayma Olores, ADRA Field Officer-Garchitorena. It is to encourage other barangays of Garchitorena to adopt the CoLMEAL Program.
On behalf of Municipal Mayor, Hon. Leda S. San Luis, PESO Designate, Edna S. Valencia expressed her full support for the initiative and gave welcome remarks. Present also from ADRA, Marife Joven-Dia, Policy, and Advocacy Officer together with her team, Androxz Bea and Joel Cervantes, Field Assistant-Garchitorena, and Joydlynn Rivero, Independent Service Provider (ISP). Faculty expert from the College of Development Education, Leizle B. Manacob, also shows support for this extension activity.
By implementing this project, which is an improvement of the GAD Plan Budget, in 2025, the Municipality of Garchitorena will be in a better position to make significant progress toward gender equality and raise the standard of living for all of its citizens.| 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘴, 𝘌𝘚𝘋 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧
