PCW-DILG-DBM-NEDA Joint Memorandum Circular 2013-01: Guidelines on the Localization of the Magna Carta of Women


To All Provincial Governors, City/Municipal Mayors and Punong Barangays, Members of the Local Sanggunian, DILG Regional Directors (Local Government and Interior Sectors), ARMM Governor, DILG-ARMM Regional Secretary and All Others Concerned
SubjectGuidelines on the Localization of the Magna Carta of Women

1.0 PURPOSE

1.1 To prescribe policies and procedures in mainstreaming gender perspectives in local planning, programming and budgeting; local legislation; project development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation pursuant to RA 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW);

1.2 To align efforts of local government units (LGUs) and the National Government on Gender and Development (GAD) and its commitments to international declarations;

1.3 To strengthen LGU-LGU and LGU-National Government Agency (NGA) relations on GAD planning, programming, budgeting, project development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; and

1.4 To specify the oversight roles of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in the localization of the MCW.


2.0 GUIDING PRINCIPLES

2.1 Recognize the fundamental equality of women and men before the law as provided for in the 1987 Philippine Constitution;

2.2 Pursue women’s empowerment and gender equality pursuant to RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 (LGC), the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the MCW and other international commitments particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); the Beijing Platform for Action (BPA); and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); and adopt gender mainstreaming as a strategy to promote and fulfill women’s human rights and eliminate gender discrimination in government systems, structures, policies, programs, processes and procedures as mandated by the MCW;

2.3 Promote the general welfare, provide basic services and facilities and implement programs, projects and activities (PPAs) as provided for by Sections 16 and 17 of the LGC, the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD) [1995 – 2025], the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and other succeeding term plans; and

2.4 Institute an enabling environment at the local level that will ensure gender-responsive governance.


3.0 GENERAL GUIDELINES

3.1 Local officials and employees shall be responsible in promoting and ensuring that gender and development is mainstreamed in local policy-making, planning, programming, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In this regard, LGUs shall ensure that their GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) or similar GAD mechanisms are in place, fully-functional and the members have the capacity and influence to promote gender mainstreaming pursuant to Section 37 of the MCW Implementing Rules and Regulations (MCW IRR).

3.2 LGUs shall deepen their knowledge and build their competencies on GAD-related laws and international commitments, gender mainstreaming, gender analysis, gender-responsive planning and budgeting, and GAD-related tools among others;

3.3 LGUs shall ensure active participation of local committees/councils in partnership with national/regional government agencies, academe, private sector and civil society organizations (CSOs) operating at the local level for effective gender mainstreaming;

3.4 LGUs shall establish and/or strengthen their monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of their gender mainstreaming efforts;

3.5 In compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy, LGUs shall post in conspicuous places, websites or print media their progress in gender mainstreaming including the utilization of the GAD budget. In the absence of websites, LGUs may upload in the DILG Regional or Central Office websites; and

3.6 Oversight agencies such as the DILG, PCW, DBM, and NEDA shall provide technical assistance to LGUs on matters related to gender mainstreaming and the implementation of these guidelines.


4.0 INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS TO IMPLEMENT THE MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN

4.1 As a strategy to implement the MCW, LGUs shall pursue gender mainstreaming in their respective localities. As such, they shall ensure that the following mechanisms and processes are in place:

A. Creation and/or Strengthening of the LGU GAD Focal Point System (GFPS)

1) All LGUs shall establish and/or strengthen their GFPS or similar GAD mechanisms to accelerate gender mainstreaming within their localities. The Local Chief Executive/s (LCEs) shall sign appropriate issuances to institutionalize the establishment, reconstitution and/or strengthening of the GFPS in their respective LGUs.

2) The LGU GFPS shall adhere to the structure and composition provided for in the MCW-IRR as follows: To carry out its functions, the LGU GFPS shall have an Executive Committee (Execom), a Technical Working Group and/or a Secretariat.

The GFPS Executive Committee shall be composed of the LCE as the Chair and shall have the LGU Department Heads, Chairs of the Sanggunian Committees on Women, Children and Family, and Appropriations; and representatives from the PNP’s Women’s Desk, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), private sector, academe and recognized and/or accredited nongovernment organizations (NGOs) as well as women associations as members. In the case of cities and municipalities, the President of the Liga ng mga Barangay and the Sanggunian Kabataan (SK) Federation President may be invited as members of the GFPS. The LCE may also designate an alternate Chair and Vice-Chair for the GFPS.

The GFPS Technical Working Group (TWG) shall be composed of, but not limited to, key staff from the various LGU offices/departments or committees represented in the GFPS Executive Committee, including a representative from the LCE’s office, members from the private sector, academe and civil society organizations as appropriate. The GFPS TWG Chair shall be elected from among the GFPS TWG members. The designation of the GFPS TWG Chair shall be made official through the issuance of a Memorandum duly signed by the LCE and endorsed by his or her immediate supervisor or concerned LGU Department Head. The GFPS TWG Chair may designate a secretariat to assist the TWG in its functions. Where feasible, the LGU may also establish a GAD Office or unit under the Office of the LCE that will support and coordinate all GAD-related PPAs and concerns of the LGU GFPS. The LCE may also appoint or designate the LGU personnel to manage the GAD office and/or unit. The Barangay GFPS shall be chaired by the Punong Barangay, co-chaired by the Chair of the Sangguniang Barangay Committee on Women, Children and Family, with the following as members:

i. Sangguniang Barangay Committee on Appropriations
ii. SK Chairperson
iii. Barangay Health Worker
iv. Barangay Treasurer
v. Violence Against Women (VAW) Desk Officer
vi. Barangay Nutrition Scholar
vii. Tanod Executive Officer
viii. Day Care Worker
ix. Lupong Tagapamayapa member
x. Women’s organizations existing at the barangay level
xi. Barangay Human Rights Action Officer, where existent
xii. Members of the private sector and academe, as appropriate

The Barangay Secretary shall provide secretariat support to the Barangay GFPS.

(Refer to Annex A: Organizational Structure of the LGU GAD Focal Point System).

3) All LGUs shall ensure that all members of the GFPS including elected local officials and department heads undergo capacity building programs on GAD which shall include but not be limited to: gender sensitivity training (GST), gender-responsive planning and budgeting, gender analysis, gender audit and GAD tools such as the Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework (GMEF), Gender Responsive LGU Ka Ba (GeRL Ka Ba) Self-Assessment Tool, Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) and other succeeding GAD tools.

4) General Functions of the LGU GFPS

Pursuant to the MCW-IRR, the GFPS is tasked to ensure and sustain the LGU’s critical consciousness in supporting gender and development, women’s empowerment and responding to gender issues. It shall take a lead role in direction-setting, advocacy, planning, monitoring and evaluation, and technical advisory in mainstreaming GAD perspectives in the LGU programs, projects, activities, and processes. Specifically, the GFPS shall perform the following functions:

a) Lead in mainstreaming GAD perspectives in LGU policies, plans and programs. In the process, they shall ensure the assessment of the gender-responsiveness of systems, structures, policies, programs, processes, and procedures of the LGU based on the priority needs and concerns of constituencies and employees, and the formulation of recommendations including their implementation;

b) Assist in the formulation of new policies such as the GAD Code in advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality;

c) Lead in setting up appropriate systems and mechanisms to ensure the generation, processing, review, and updating of sex-disaggregated data or GAD database to serve as basis in performance-based and gender-responsive planning and budgeting;

d) Coordinate efforts of different divisions/offices/units of the LGU and advocate for the integration of GAD perspectives in all their systems and processes;

e) Spearhead the preparation of the annual and performance-based LGU GAD Plan and Budget (GPB) in response to the gender issues and or concerns of their locality and in the context of the LGU mandate; and consolidate the same following the form and procedures prescribed in this Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC). The GFPS shall likewise be responsible for submitting the consolidated GPBs of the LGU;

f) Lead in monitoring the effective implementation of the annual GPB, GAD Code, other GADrelated policies and plans;

g) Lead the preparation of the annual LGU GAD Accomplishment Report (GAD AR) and other GAD reports that may be required under the MCW and this JMC;

h) Strengthen linkages with other LGUs, concerned agencies or organizations working on women’s rights and gender and development to harmonize and synchronize GAD efforts at various levels of local governance;

i) Promote and actively pursue the participation of women and gender advocates, other civil society groups and private organizations in the various stages of development planning cycle; giving attention to the marginalized sectors, and

j) Ensure that all personnel of the LGU including the planning and finance officers (e.g. accountants, budget officers, auditors) are capacitated on GAD. Along this line, the GFPS will recommend and plan an appropriate capacity development program on GAD for its employees as part of and implemented under its regular human resource development program.

5) Roles and Responsibilities of the LGU GFPS

a) The LCE shall:

i. Issue policies and/or directives that support gender mainstreaming in the policies, plans, PPAs and services of the LGU as well as in its budget, systems, processes and procedures of the LGU, including the creation, strengthening, modification or reconstitution of the GFPS;
ii. Ensure the implementation of the GPB and approve GAD AR and other GAD-related reports of the LGU as maybe required by the MCW-IRR and this JMC, duly endorsed by the GFPS Executive Committee and with the assistance of the GFPS-TWG.

b) The GFPS Executive Committee shall:

i. Provide policy advice to the LCE to support and strengthen the GFPS and the LGU’s gender mainstreaming efforts;
ii. Direct the identification of GAD strategies, PPAs and targets based on the results of gender analysis and gender assessment, taking into account the identified priorities of the LGU and the gender issues and concerns faced by the LGU’s constituents and employees;
iii. Ensure the timely submission of the LGU GPB, GAD AR and other GAD-related reports to the DILG which shall be consolidated for submission to PCW and appropriate oversight agencies;
iv. Ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the GAD PPAs and the judicious utilization of the GAD budget;
v. Build and strengthen the partnership of the LGU with concerned stakeholders such as women’s groups or CSOs, national government agencies, GAD experts and advocates, among others in pursuit of gender mainstreaming;
vi. Recommend awards and/or incentives to recognize outstanding GAD PPAs or individuals who have made exemplary contributions to GAD.

c) The Technical Working Group (TWG) shall:

i. Facilitate the gender mainstreaming efforts of the LGU through the GAD planning and budgeting process;
ii. Formulate the LGU GPB in response to the gender gaps and issues faced by their constituents including their women and men employees;
iii. Assist in the capacity and competency development of and provide technical assistance to the offices or units of the LGU. In this regard, the TWG shall work with the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) on the development and implementation of a capacity development program on GAD for its employees, as necessary;
iv. Coordinate with the various units/offices of the LGU and ensure their meaningful participation in strategic and annual planning exercises on GAD including the preparation, consolidation and submission of GPBs;
v. Lead the conduct of advocacy activities and the development of information, education and communication (IEC) materials to ensure critical support of local elected officials, department heads and staff, and relevant stakeholders to the GFPS and to gender mainstreaming;
vi. Monitor the implementation of GAD-related PPAs and suggest corrective measures to improve their implementation;
vii. Prepare and consolidate LGU GAD ARs and other GAD-related reports; and
viii.Provide regular updates and recommendations to the LCE or GFPS ExeCom regarding GFPS’ activities and the progress of the LGU in gender mainstreaming based on the feedback and reports of concerned LGU offices/units, stakeholders and constituents.

d) The GFPS Secretariat, and whenever feasible the GAD office or unit designated by the LCE shall assist the GFPS ExeCom and the TWG in the performance of their roles and responsibilities, specifically on the provision of administrative and logistical services; preparation of meeting agenda; and documentation of GFPS’ meetings and related GAD activities.

6) In the event of a change in local administration, the remaining members of the GFPS ExeCom and TWG shall facilitate the immediate reconstitution of the GFPS and the conduct of GST and other GAD competency development activities for newly-elected local officials.

7) LGUs, through their GFPS, shall strengthen their linkages and/or partnerships with the local offices of the NGAs, private sector, academe, Official Development Assistance (ODA) partners and other stakeholders in pursuit of their gender mainstreaming efforts.

B) Establishment and Maintenance of GAD Database

1) LGUs, through their Local Planning and Development Offices (LPDO), shall spearhead the setting up and maintenance of the GAD database to serve as basis for gender-responsive planning, programming and policy formulation. The GAD database, which can either be manually operated or developed through software, shall form part of the overall management information system (MIS) of the LGU.

2) Sex-disaggregated data and GAD-related information may be derived and/or sourced from the local National Statistics Office (NSO), academe, CSOs as well as from studies, surveys and administrative reports of the local offices of NGAs such as, but not limited to the following: the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The sex-disaggregated data and results of the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) and Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS) may form part of the GAD database.

(Refer to Annex B: Data Requirements for the LGU GAD Database).

3) The LGU GFPS or its TWG shall provide technical assistance to the LPDO in ensuring that the GAD Database is operational.

4) Provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays shall be capacitated to develop and/or enhance their GAD Databases. Barangay GFPS shall gather and process sex-disaggregated data and GAD-related information for submission to the city and/or municipality. The city and/or municipality shall consolidate the same for data processing, data analysis and data updating and maintenance of their GAD databases. The consolidated city and/or municipal data shall be submitted to provinces for updating and maintenance of their respective GAD databases.

C) Gender and Development (GAD) Planning and Budgeting

C.1 General Guidelines

1) LGUs shall formulate their annual GPBs within the context of their mandates to ensure gender mainstreaming in their policies, programs and projects. GAD planning and budgeting shall be integrated in the regular activities of the LGUs, the cost of implementation of which shall be at least five percent (5%) of their total Annual Budgets. The development, allocation and utilization of the GPB shall be implemented in accordance with this JMC.

2) The preparation of the GPB shall be synchronized with the planning and budgeting calendar pursuant to DILG-NEDA-DBM-DOF JMC No. 1 series of 2007: Guidelines on the Harmonization of Local Planning, Investment Programming, Revenue Administration, Budgeting and Expenditure Management.

3) The GAD planning and budgeting process shall be incorporated in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), Annual Investment Program, the Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA), Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP) and in sector plans, e.g. disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) plan. It shall also be guided by the desired outcomes and goals embodied in the MCW, the PPGD, other GAD-related laws, policies and term plans as well as in the UN CEDAW and other relevant international commitments.

4) In identifying GAD PPAs, LGUs shall at all times give priority to those that will address emerging and/or continuing issues and concerns on:
a) Provision of basic services and facilities to protect and fulfill women’s human rights, including their right to protection from all forms of violence;
b) Women’s economic empowerment, including women’s participation in economic governance;
c) Participation in local governance and decision-making; and
d) Other provisions of the MCW.

[Refer to Annex C: Roles and Responsibilities of Local Government Units (LGUs) in Implementing the Magna Carta of Women].

5) For effective planning and implementation of GAD PPAs, LGUs shall ensure that the essential elements in GAD planning and budgeting are in place. Specifically, these elements include the
a) creation and strengthening of the LGU GFPS;
b) capacity development on gender mainstreaming, gender-responsive planning and budgeting, gender analysis and gender assessment; development and utilization of GAD tools; and
c) institutionalization of GAD database. If these are not present or need to be strengthened in the LGU, LGUs shall include them in their GPBs.

6) The LCE shall ensure that the GPB is provided with adequate resources. As such, the implementation of the GPB shall not be affected by austerity measures.

7) The GAD budget, which is the cost of implementing the GAD plan shall form part of and is not in addition to the LGUs’ Annual Budget.

8) LGUs shall consult with their employees and constituencies through accredited women or people/civil society organizations, foundations, interfaith organizations, among others to ensure the relevance of their GPBs.

9) GAD planning and budgeting shall adhere to Executive Order 43 s. 2011, Pursuing our Social Contract with the Filipino People through the Reorganization of the Cabinet Clusters. As such, LGUs shall strengthen their capacity to link their budget with performance and shall enable citizens and civil society to monitor and evaluate these; promote equal gender opportunities in their public policies and programs and ensure transparent, accountable, participatory and inclusive governance resulting to direct, immediate and substantial benefits for the poor.

C.2 Steps in Formulating the LGU GAD Plan and Budget (GPB)

1) In consultation with local functionaries and stakeholders, the LGU GFPS shall set the GAD agenda or identify priority gender issues to be addressed by the LGU during the three-year term of its leadership. The GAD agenda shall be the basis for the annual formulation of PPAs to be included in the LGU GPB. The GAD agenda or the priority gender issues, mandates and targets may be derived from the following:

i. Review of GAD-related laws and policies relevant to the LGU such as those mentioned in Section 2.0 and item C.1.4 of this JMC;
ii. Results of gender analysis and/or gender assessment using the sex-disaggregated data/information from the LGU GAD database, the Ecological Profile, the CBMS and/or LGPMS and NHTS-PR as well as information from major programs and services of the LGU that reflect the gender gaps and/or issues faced by program/service beneficiaries, women and men constituents and employees.
iii. Results of program and project evaluation in terms of benefits to target beneficiaries; and
iv. Review of findings from the audit of GAD funds and GAD ARs to surface remaining gender issues that have not been addressed in previous GPBs.

2) Identify appropriate PPAs to address priority gender issues that are included in the GPB. PPAs may be client-focused or those addressing gender mainstreaming in regular/flagship PPAs; as well as organization-focused or those addressing gender issues of the LGU and its personnel.

3) The GAD Budget is prepared based on the estimated costs of functions and PPAs translated from the demands/commitments identified in the GAD Plan.

4) Fill out the GPB and GAD AR forms. (Refer to Annex D: Guide in Completing the LGU GAD Plan and Budget Form; and Annex E: Guide in Completing the LGU GAD Accomplishment Report Form).

C.3 Costing and Allocation of the GAD Budget

1) At least five percent (5%) of the total LGU budget appropriations authorized under the Annual Budget shall correspond to activities supporting GAD PPAs. The GAD budget shall be drawn from the LGU’s maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), capital outlay (CO), and personal services (PS). The GAD budget shall not constitute an additional budget over an LGU’s total budget appropriations. The five percent (5%) GAD budget shall endeavor to influence the remaining 95% of the LGU budget toward gender-responsiveness.

2) Pursuant to Section 37A.1c of the MCW-IRR, the GAD budget may be allocated using any or a combination of the following:
i. As a separate GAD fund to support GAD-focused PPAs;
ii. As fund to support integrating gender perspectives in regular/flagship programs and projects; and
iii. As counterpart fund to support gender-responsive ODA-funded projects.

3) The LGU GFPS shall annually monitor and evaluate the utilization and outcome of the GAD budget in terms of its success in influencing the gender-responsive implementation of PPAs funded by the remaining 95% of the LGU budget (MCW Chapter VI, Sec. 36); the results of which shall be reflected in the forms prescribed in Section 5.0 of this JMC.

4) LGUs with ODA-funded projects shall allocate five (5) to thirty (30) percent of ODA funds received from foreign governments and multilateral agencies to support gender-responsive PPAs, provided that the same are aligned with the purpose of the foreign grant and/or the grant agreements between the LGU and the Grantor.

C.4 Attribution to the GAD Budget

5) Attributing LGU programs and projects including ODA-funded projects to the GAD budget:
a. To gradually increase the gender-responsiveness of LGU programs and projects, the LGU may attribute a portion or whole of their budgets to the GAD budget supporting gender-responsive PPAs. To facilitate this, the LGU shall conduct a gender analysis of their programs and projects through the administration of the HGDG.
b. If the LGU is not trained on the HGDG, it may propose a training program on the HGDG in its GPB for the incoming year and may seek the assistance of a gender analysis specialist/expert in the use of and/or administration of the HGDG.
c. The administration of the HGDG will yield a maximum score of 20 points for each program or project. Based on the HGDG score, a percentage of the budget of the LGU’s existing and proposed regular or flagship program/project may be attributed to the GAD budget. The attribution is guided as follows:


HGDG ScoreDescriptionCorresponding Budget for the Year of the Program that may be Attributed to the LGU GAD Budget
Below 4.0GAD is invisible0% or no amount of the program/project budget for the year may be attributed to the GAD budget
4.0 – 7.9Promising GAD prospects (conditional pass)25% of the budget for the year of the program/project may be attributed to the GAD budget
8.0 – 14.9Gender sensitive50% of the budget for the year of the program/project, may be attributed to the GAD budget
15.0 – 19.9Gender-responsive75% of the budget for the year of the program/project may be attributed to the GAD budget
20.0Fully gender- responsive100% of the budget for the year of the program may be attributed to the GAD budget

d. Based on its initial result in the HGDG, the LGU will set its target score for a particular program or project. For example, the program or project was rated 4.0 in the HGDG and the LGU would like to achieve a score of 6.0 for said program or project at the end of the year. Hence, the LGU should subsequently plan and estimate the cost of interventions (or cost of gender mainstreaming) to achieve its target. The cost of interventions in making the program or project reach a higher score in the HGDG shall be included in the LGU GPB.

e. During the preparation of its GAD AR, the LGU will again administer the HGDG test to determine the extent that the targeted HGDG score is attained. This score will be the basis in determining actual expenditure that can be attributed to the GAD budget. In the example above, if the LGU has an HGDG score of 8 (higher than its target), it can attribute 50% of the program’s budget to the actual GAD expenditure.

f. The cost of interventions to mainstream GAD in programs and projects, including those that are funded by ODA may be attributed to the GAD budget.

C.5 Schedule to be observed in GAD Planning and Budgeting

1) January (a year before budget year) – the LCE shall issue a memorandum order to all LGU departments/offices for the preparation of their annual GPB and annual GAD AR (e.g. LGU FY 2014 GPB and FY 2012 GAD AR)

2) January-February – All LGU departments/offices including barangays shall formulate their GPBs and GAD ARs of the previous year for submission to the LGU GFPS. LGUs shall submit their consolidated annual GAD ARs to the DILG Regional Offices, which in turn shall be submitted to the DILG Central Office for consolidation and submission to PCW.

3) March – The LGU GFPS TWG of component cities and municipalities shall review and consolidate the GPBs. The consolidated GPBs shall be submitted to the Provincial Planning and Development Offices (PPDO) to ensure the alignment of LGU GAD PPAs to the priorities of the province. Afterward, these shall be submitted to the DILG Regional Offices for review and approval. For provinces, highly-urbanized cities (HUCs) and independent component cities (ICCs), the LGU GFPS TWG shall submit the GPBs to the DILG Regional Office for their review and approval.

4) April-May – DILG-approved LGU GPBs shall be returned to the concerned LGUs for integration of the GAD PPAs in the AIP.

5) June-July – the following activities are undertaken:
i. Integration of identified gender issues and concerns and GAD goals, strategies, objectives, targets and PPAs of the GPB during the formulation, updating or enhancement of the CLUP/CDP/PDPFP/ELA.
ii. Review the inclusion of the GAD PPAs of the GPB in the Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) before its approval.
iii. Issuance of the Budget Call by the LCE to all LGU departments/offices.

6) July-August – The following activities are undertaken:
i. Integration of the approved GPB in the annual budget proposals of LGU departments/offices;
ii. The Local Finance Committee (LFC) shall ensure the integration of the GPB in the LGU budget proposals during the technical budget hearings.

7) September – The LFC shall ensure that the identified GAD PPAs are reflected in the Local Expenditure Program (LEP) and the Budget Expenditure and Sources of Financing (BESF).

8) October – Not later than October 16, the LCE shall ensure that the identified GAD PPAs are included in the Budget Message and in the Executive Budget for submission to the Local Sanggunian for its enactment.

9) Within 90 days from the receipt of the submitted Annual or Supplemental Budgets, the DBM Regional Office shall review the annual or supplemental budgets of the HUCs, ICCs and provinces. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan shall review the Municipal Annual/Supplemental Budgets. The Sangguniang Bayan/Panglungsod shall review the Barangay Annual/Supplemental Budgets. The DBM Regional Offices/ Provincial/ City/ Municipal Sanggunian shall ensure that GAD PPAs have the required resource allocation in the Annual Budget.

(Refer to Annex F: Flowchart of the GAD Planning and Budgeting Schedule).

C.6 Submission, Review and Approval of LGU GAD Plans and Budgets

1) Provinces, HUCs, ICCs and municipalities within Metro Manila shall submit their GPBs, accompanied by their GAD ARs to the DILG Regional Office for their review and approval. Reviewed and approved GPBs shall be returned to the LGUs for integration in the AIP and funding.

2) Component cities and municipalities outside Metro Manila shall submit their GPBs to the PPDO of the Provincial Government to ensure the alignment of the municipal/city GAD PPAs with the priorities of the province and then from the PPDO to the DILG Regional Offices for its review and approval. DILG-approved GPBs shall be returned to the LGUs concerned, for incorporation in their annual budgets to be enacted by their Local Sanggunian.

3) In the case of the ARMM, the ARMM line agencies shall submit their GPBs to the Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW) for its review and consolidation, in terms of the correctness and alignment of the entries in the GPB form. After review and consolidation, the RCBW shall submit the GPBs to the Office of the Regional Governor (ORG), for approval and submission to PCW for its endorsement to DBM.

4) Barangays shall prepare and submit their GPBs to the City/Municipal PDO to ensure the alignment of the barangay GAD PPAS with the priorities of the city/municipality and then from the City/Municipal PDO, submit the same to the DILG city/municipal LGOO for review and approval. Reviewed and approved GPBs shall be returned to the concerned barangays, for incorporation in their Annual Budgets.

5) The LGU GFPS shall ensure that the GPBs of their respective LGUs, including the GPBs of barangays within the city/municipal jurisdiction are carried out according to synchronized local planning and budgeting calendar.

6) The GFPS TWG shall review all submitted GPBs and as needed, provide comments or recommendations for revision. The review of GPBs shall focus on the alignment of the GAD plan with the GAD agenda and the correctness and alignment of the entries in each column of the GPB form, e.g. if the proposed activities respond to the identified gender issue or cause of the issue, the issues are correctly identified or formulated, if there are clear indicators and targets, if the proposed budget is realistic, if the number of proposed activities are doable within the year, among others.

7) The DILG Regional Offices shall issue review and approve the LGU GPBs based on the genderresponsiveness of their content, e.g. relevance of the GAD PPAs to the identified gender issues and their causes as well as the correctness and alignment of the entries in the GPB form. DILGapproved GPBs shall include a certificate of approval from the DILG Regional Offices which will be returned to the concerned LGUs for incorporation in their Annual Budgets to be enacted by their Sanggunian.

C.7 Implementation and Monitoring of the LGU GAD Plan and Budget

1) Upon receipt of the enacted GPB which includes a certificate of approval from the concerned DILG Regional Office, the LCE shall issue an appropriate policy directive, copy furnished the DILG Regional Office, to disseminate and implement the GPB. The directive shall also mandate the LGU GFPS to:
a) provide technical assistance in the implementation of the GPB;
b) monitor its implementation;
c) ensure the preparation and submission of GAD AR; and
d) consolidate reports on the implementation of the GPB.

2) The LGUs through their LCEs shall inform the DILG Regional Office in writing if there are changes in the DILG-approved GPB and/or if there is a need to implement additional PPAs relevant to current gender issues or GAD-related undertakings. The DILG Regional Office, in turn, shall acknowledge receipt of adjusted GPB and shall inform the LGUs if the GAD PPAs or activities in the adjusted GPB are in accordance with this JMC.

3) As needed, LGUs may seek the assistance of DILG, PCW, DBM, NEDA, other oversight agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), gender specialists/experts and other stakeholders in monitoring the results of their GAD PPAs.

4) The GFPS shall regularly monitor if the GAD budget is being spent for what it was intended for and check on the actual cost of implementing the GAD activities.

C.8 Preparation and Submission of LGU GAD Accomplishment Report

1) The GFPS shall prepare their annual GAD AR based on the DILG-approved GPB or the enacted GPB following the form prescribed in Annex E. Activities completed until the end of the year may be included in the final LGU GAD AR.

2) Barangays shall submit their GAD ARs for consolidation and review of the cities/municipalities; while cities/municipalities shall submit their GAD ARs for review and consolidation of their respective provinces. Provinces, ICCs and HUCs shall submit their GAD ARs to the DILG Regional Offices.

3) In case the LGU attributes a portion or the whole of the budget of its major program/project to the GAD budget, it shall subject the same to the HGDG test to determine the actual expenditures that may be attributed to the GAD budget (Refer to item 5 of Section C.4). As required, the LGU may present the HGDG test results to the DILG Regional Office or to the GAD funds auditor as evidence that the GAD plan was duly implemented and the GAD budget judiciously utilized.

4) Accomplishments on the implementation of GAD PPAs funded under ODA projects, including the amount spent for such shall also be reflected in the GAD AR.

5) The annual GAD AR shall be accompanied by the following:
(1) brief summary of the reported program or project;
(2) copies of reported policy issuances;
(3) results of HGDG tests; and
(4) actions taken by the LGU on the COA audit findings and recommendations.

6) The DILG shall assess the actual accomplishments of LGUs on GAD and prepare an annual integrated GAD AR based from the GAD ARs gathered from its regional offices for submission to PCW.

C.9 GAD Funds Audit

1) Pursuant to MCW Section 36 and this JMC, the Commission on Audit (COA) shall conduct an annual audit of GAD funds for the purpose of determining the judicious use of the GAD budget and the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions in addressing gender issues towards the realization of the objectives of the country’s commitments, plans, and policies on GAD, gender equality and women’s empowerment.

2) Provided further in MCW-IRR Section 37, the COA shall conduct an annual audit of GAD funds of all government agencies, offices, bureaus, SUCs, GOCCs, LGUs, all government instrumentalities and all others concerned.

D. Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives in Local Development Plans

1) To ensure a sustainable and performance-based planning and budgeting, all LGUs shall mainstream GAD concerns in their local development plans. The procedures for mainstreaming gender perspective in local plans shall be in accordance with the local planning process and corresponding timeframe provided for in the DILG-NEDA-DBM-DOF JMC No. 1 Series of 2007;

2) Mainstreaming gender perspectives in local plans shall consider the planning structure, the multi-sectoral development and land use plans, the planning process, the LDIP/AIP and the budget.

3) To ensure effective gender mainstreaming in local development plans, the following activities shall be undertaken:
i. Revisit the LGU’s vision, sectoral plans and investment program and assess them according to gender-responsiveness;
ii. Gather, collate and analyze the LGU’s situation through the use of gender analysis and/or gender assessment tools, including the use of the GAD database to determine the status of women and men and the gender gaps or issues that they face; as well as to determine the capacity of the LGU to promote, respect and fulfill women’s human rights or to plan, implement and monitor GAD interventions;
iii. Provide the LDC and its sectoral committees with data and information essential to the formulation of gender-responsive plans and PPAs;
iv. Review sectoral or functional objectives, targets and programs, projects and activities for gender-responsiveness;
v. Conduct public hearings on sectoral planning, projects and activities;
vi. Monitor and evaluate gender-responsive programs and projects; and
vii. Reflect the GAD PPAs as indicated in the LGU GPB in the AIP.

(Refer to PCW Guidelines for Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives in the Comprehensive Development Plan at www.pcw.gov.ph).

E. Formulation/Enhancement and Implementation of the LGU GAD Code

1) All LGUs shall formulate and pass their GAD Codes or ordinances to support the LGU’s efforts in promoting, protecting and fulfilling women’s human rights, women’s economic empowerment and gender-responsive governance towards the attainment of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

2) The LGU GFPS shall assist the Local Sanggunian in the formulation of a GAD Code or ordinance.

3) Funding requirements in the formulation and implementation of the Code shall be charged to the LGU GAD budget.

4) LGUs shall ensure that the pertinent provisions of the GAD Code are integrated in local development plans. (For the step-by-step formulation of the LGU GAD Code, refer to the GAD Code Guidelines of the Philippine Commission of Women at www.pcw.gov.ph).


5.0 MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN

5.1 All LGUs shall establish, enhance, strengthen and/or maintain a gender responsive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. In establishing and/or strengthening an M&E System, the LCE of provinces, cities and municipalities shall issue an Executive Order or Administrative Order creating the M&E Team.

5.2 The M&E Team, where existent, e.g. Local Project Monitoring Team shall expand its functions and its membership to include the members of the suggested GAD M&E Team. The GAD M&E Team shall be composed of the GFPS TWG Chair, P/C/M Planning and Development Coordinator, HRM Officer, Budget Officer, DILG LGOO, representative/s of the LCE, CSO representative/s specifically from women’s organizations and the academe. The GAD M&E Team shall invite the concerned implementing office or unit of the GAD PPAs during the monitoring and evaluation period.

5.3 The LGU GFPS shall monitor the implementation of the annual GPB and assess the status of the LGU’s institutional mechanisms on gender mainstreaming annually.

5.4 LGUs, through their GFPS, shall prepare annual status reports on the institutional mechanisms for gender mainstreaming and submit these to the DILG Regional Office for consolidation (Refer to Annex G: LGU Status Report on Institutional Mechanisms for Gender Mainstreaming).

5.5 LGUs shall submit their annual GAD ARs formulated based on their GPBs to the City/Municipal Government in case of barangays, to the Provincial Government, in case of cities and municipalities and to the DILG Regional Offices in case of provinces not later than end of January of the ensuing year for review and consolidation (Refer to Annex E).

5.6 The DILG Regional Offices shall review and consolidate the GAD ARs and status reports submitted to them by the LGUs for submission to the DILG-Bureau of Local Government Development (DILG-BLGD).

5.7 The GAD M&E Team shall evaluate the outcomes of the LGU GAD policies, programs and projects and submit a GAD Evaluation Report to the DILG Regional Office at the end of the LCE’s three-year term. The submission shall be done not later than June of the next term (Refer to Annex H: LGU GAD Evaluation Report).

5.8 All M&E activities shall be included in the annual GPB.

5.9 The DILG-BLGD shall review the consolidated LGU GAD ARs, status reports of institutional mechanisms and GAD evaluation reports. The consolidated annual GAD ARs and status reports shall form part of the DILG Annual GAD AR for submission to PCW within March of every year, starting 2014. The consolidated GAD evaluation reports shall be included in the DILG Annual GAD AR at the end of the LCE’s three-year term as appropriate.


6.0 ROLES OF OVERSIGHT AGENCIES

6.1 The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall:
a. Consolidate the approved LGU GPBs and GAD ARs for monitoring and evaluation purposes;
b. Provide technical assistance on the formulation of LGU GPBs including the capacity development of LGUs on gender analysis, GAD planning and budgeting and gender mainstreaming in cooperation with PCW and other concerned agencies;
c. Assist the PCW, DBM, and NEDA in the enhancement and updating of existing guidelines and tools on GAD planning and budgeting, gender mainstreaming, gender analysis and gender assessment at the local level;
d. Assist the LGUs in the formulation, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of their GAD Codes and other GAD-related ordinances in close coordination with PCW;
e. Provide technical assistance to LGUs on the application of the HGDG in local program/project design, development, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
f. Monitor and evaluate LGU compliance on the following mechanisms which shall be reflected in the consolidated reports (Refer to 5.9 of Section 5.0), as appropriate:

i. Formulation and implementation of LGU GPBs and GAD ARs
ii. Utilization of the 5% GAD Budget
iii. Formulation of the GAD Code
iv. Creation/re-organization and functionality of GFPS or similar GAD mechanisms
v. Establishment of the LGU GAD Database
vi. Organization and functionality of Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPCs)
vii. Functionality of VAWC Office/Desk and Women’s Shelter
viii. Mainstreaming gender perspectives in the PDPFP/CLUP/CDP/AIP//ELA
ix. Functionality of the GAD Office/Unit, if any
x. Creation of Local Media Boards

g. Conduct appropriate response to the recommendation of the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) on the non-compliance of LGUs to the provisions of the MCW including non-compliance to the 5% GAD budget policy; and h. Formulate and/or as necessary, utilize its incentives and awards system, e.g. the Seal of Good Housekeeping to recognize the LGUs’ outstanding accomplishments and/or good practices on GAD in partnership with PCW, concerned agencies and other stakeholders.

6.2 The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) shall:
a. Spearhead the enhancement, updating of and provision of technical assistance relative to existing guidelines and tools on gender-responsive planning and budgeting, gender analysis, GAD Code formulation, gender mainstreaming, gender audit and/or gender assessment at the local level in partnership with DILG, DBM, NEDA, civil society organizations, academe and other stakeholders;
b. Take the lead in advocating the use of the HGDG for program and/or project design, development, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, in partnership with NEDA and DILG;
c. Lead the development of a monitoring and evaluation system to determine progress and results of implementing the MCW in partnership with DILG, NEDA, DBM and concerned agencies;
d. Provide technical assistance and as necessary, support the capacity building of DILG, NEDA and DBM to enable them to perform their roles as stipulated in this JMC.

6.3 The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall:
a. Provide technical assistance to LGUs to ensure that they adopt a gender-responsive and performance-based approach to LGU budgeting;
b. Assist the PCW, DILG and NEDA in the enhancement and updating of existing guidelines and tools on gender-responsive planning and budgeting, gender mainstreaming, gender audit and/or gender assessment at the local level;
c. Ensure that Major Final Outputs, indicators and targets of the LGUs under their Organizational Performance Indicator Framework (OPIF) are gender-responsive;
d. Assist the PCW, DILG and NEDA in the development of a monitoring and evaluation system to monitor the GAD budget utilization of LGUs.

6.4 The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) shall:
a. Assist the PCW, DILG and DBM in the enhancement and updating of existing guidelines and tools on gender-responsive planning and budgeting, gender mainstreaming, gender audit and/or gender assessment at the local level;
b. Develop mechanisms, in consultation with PCW, DILG, DBM, concerned agencies and other stakeholders, to ensure that the 5%-30% allocation of funds received from ODA-funded projects of foreign governments and multilateral agencies are achieved and sustained to enable LGUs to respond to gender issues;
c. Advocate the use of the HGDG for project design, development, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and provide technical assistance to provinces on the utilization of the HGDG, in partnership with PCW;
d. Provide technical assistance to provinces in mainstreaming GAD concerns in the formulation and/or updating of the PDPFP.


7.0 REPEALING CAUSE

7.1 The contents and specific provisions of the MCW, and all other policy guidelines cited in this circular that are consistent, supportive and complimentary to the provisions stated herein shall become part and parcel of this JMC.

7.2 All other issuances inconsistent or contrary to the provisions of this JMC, in particular the DILG-NCRFW-DBM JMC 2001-1 are hereby repealed.


8.0 EFFECTIVITY

This Joint Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.


(Sgd) Remedios R. Rikken
Chairperson
Philippine Commission on Women

(Sgd) Manuel A. Roxas II
Secretary
Department of the Interior and Local Government


(Sgd) Florencio B. Abad
Secretary
Department of Budget and Management

(Sgd) Arsenio M. Balicasan
Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Director-General
National Economic and Development Authority



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