Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), through its PFDA - Gender and Development Focal Point System (PFDA-GFPS), conducted a Gender and Development (GAD) Training Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming and Evaluation Framework (GMEF) and GAD Planning and Budget (GPB) for F.Y. 2025 on August 27 to 30, 2024 at the University Hotel, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.
The three-day training aims to boost PFDA’s gender mainstreaming efforts and to improve the planning, designing, ang implementation of policies, programs, and projects to address various gender issues arising in the organization.
PFDA Assistant General Manager and PFDA-GFPS Executive Committee Chairperson Ms. Iris R. De Vera expressed her appreciation to the participants who have allotted their time in the advancement of gender equality and promotion of gender-responsive efforts within the agency.
“The PFDA is in full support in mainstreaming GAD strategies and activities. We have a lot to learn on how we can mainstream our GAD plans and integrate them into our agency’s mandate… I expect so much from you all to make the most out of this training workshop,” Ms. De Vera said.
Meanwhile, Corporate Planning and Management Information Services Department Manager Ms. Gina J. Reyes discussed the inclusion of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in the Enhanced Performance Evaluation System (PES) for the government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC).
“PFDA has always been inclusive in terms of gender, and with this workshop we can do more… With this training workshop, may we have a different approach on how we plan, set targets, and support the attainment of our agency goals, objectives, and vision. Also, we no longer view gender and social inclusion as a secondary or peripheral concern, instead it must be a part of the core component of our strategic planning,” Ms. Reyes said.
Psyche Mae A. Asencio from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and member of the PCW National GAD Resource Pool, is the resource speaker for the three-day activity.
Asencio facilitated the discussion on advancing gender mainstreaming in PFDA. She discussed the policy imperatives and elaborated on the concepts of gender mainstreaming. Afterward, the resource speaker tackled the gender mainstreaming entry points that measures the success of an organization’s mainstreaming efforts.
“Ang gender mainstreaming ay hindi dapat tinitingnan na ibang trabaho dahil parte dapat ito ng pang-araw-araw na buhay ng PFDA,” Psyche noted.
Subsequently, the participants validated the PFDA’s GMEF Score and Questionnaire 2024. The result of the validation was then related to the creation and improvement of the PFDA GPB 2025.
Psyche discussed the essential elements in GAD Planning and Budgeting which includes Creation and/or Strengthening of the GAD Focal Points, Capacity Building on GAD, Conduct of Gender Audit, and Institutionalization of GAD Database/Sex-Disaggregated Data (SDD).
After the discussion, the participants drafted and presented the GPB 2025 based on the identified gender issues and interventions to address these gender issues.
During the presentations, Psyche shared her comments and suggestions to improve gender mainstreaming activities and further enhance the PFDA’s GPB 2025.
Members of the PFDA-GFPS Technical Working Group in the Central Office and Regional Fish Ports actively participated in the three-day GMEF and GPB training workshop.
(Mark Angelo N. Perez and Paul Vincent R. del Rosario - Public Information Division)