Naga City GAD LLHs:
At the Core of Setting up Gender-Responsive Facilities and Services for Women

The City of Naga was among the five (5) pioneering LGUs recognized by the PCW for its notable GAD programs. Presently, the three (3) notable GAD programs of the City are as follows: Naga City Bantay Familia; Barangay GROW Negosyo Program; and Naga City Breastfeeding Program. These sustained facilities and services are for victim-survivors of violence, program on economic empowerment for marginalized women, and enabling environment for breastfeeding mothers. 

Bantay Familia

The Naga City Bantay Familia was established as an inter-agency network of local government units, line agencies, NGOs, people’s organizations and sectoral groups institutionalized in 2002 through Executive Order 2002-01. It envisions a community that is dynamic, gender-fair environment friendly, and people-centered. It ensures that the dignity and integrity of its stakeholders are continuously upheld and protected. Besides the LGUs and individual clients, the Program includes management of Women’s Home Center (WHC), a facility that serves as a drop-in and temporary home. The WHC clients are victim-survivors of domestic violence, battering, rape, incest, and child abuse. Among the services provided to the clients of the Bantay Fanilia and the WHC are counselling sessions, advise on the proceedings of legal cases, learning sessions on women and children laws, livelihood trainings, and educational services. The clients are likewise provided with basic necessities and supplies, like food, clothing, and personal hygiene products, among others.

WHC clients also attend learning sessions at the Naga Central School II for Alternative Learning System (ALS), to access livelihood trainings like sewing, and baking. The clients of the WHC also attend learning activities at the Bicol Science and Technology Centrum, which enable them to freely interact, discover and explore interactive exhibits, scientific equipment or play materials showcased in the science gallery.

Through the strong and resourceful leadership and support of the local government of Naga, the Bantay Familia is regularly allocated with an annual budget and six (6) staff complement. Further, the Program and its services contribute towards gender equality and empowerment goals by strengthening the collaborative convergence of local mechanisms to give access to marginalized women seeking justice, and empowering them to seek help. Likewise, given the Program’s advocacy and educational services provided down to the barangay level, it has actively promoted a culture of gender equality and ending gender-based violence along with Bantay Familia’s network of LGUs, agencies, and civil society organizations.

Barangay GROW Negosyo Program 

The Barangay Growing Opportunities for Wealth (GrOW) Negosyo Program was introduced in July 2010 as flagship livelihood program to compliment the City’s livelihood loan assistance program implemented by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), which was institutionalized through local Ordinance No. 98-071. The Program was created to harmonize the livelihood initiatives of the City with the private sector and government agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure efficient and quality provision of livelihood services. Though the use of Barangay Enterprise Profiles, the local women entrepreneurs were identified to be part of the Barangay GrOW Negosyo Program, to provide economic empowerment to women beneficiaries, especially women with disabilities and/or senior citizens.

Since its establishment in 2010, about 100 enterprises have benefitted from the Program and 66 were sustained. Out of the 66 sustained, 54.5% are women-led, 21.2% are men-led, while the rest are group enterprises. The group enterprises have 266 members and 71.4% are women. The successfully sustained enterprises are measured in terms of continuing operations, increase in asset size, and increase in product lines. The Program assists the entrepreneurs in terms of product development, and in improving the confidence of women in managing and sustaining their respective enterprises. Given the impacts of the Program to its beneficiaries, the Barangay GrOW Negosyo Program contributes towards the achievement of the first gender equality goal by providing and expanding economic opportunities for women to develop their entrepreneurial skills, sustain and improve their enterprises, and play a significant role in income generation as the women’s share of productive work in the local economy of the City.

 Breastfeeding Program 

The Breastfeeding Program started in 2010 when Naga City organized Breastfeeding Support Groups in the 27 barangays of the City. The support group under the City Population and Nutrition Office (CPNO) provides training on overweight and obesity management, as well as nutritional counseling for pregnant and lactating mothers. The members of the support undergo trainings on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and they attend the quarterly meetings for peer counselors. The support group monitors and visits the pregnant and lactating mothers within their respective barangays.

The CPNO also oversees the implementation and monitoring of City Ordinance No. 2011-032, a local policy that requires all government agencies/ offices and private establishments and institutions in the City to establish breastfeeding corners/rooms in their office establishments/institutions. The City penalizes non-compliance to the policy by not issuing business permits. Thus, both the public and private sector relegated a room/clean space for lactating mothers, and increased awareness in promoting breastfeeding. Given the enabling environment created by this policy, even the staff, employees, and security guards in public and private establishments in the City can easily guide and direct clients to their respective designated breastfeeding rooms. Thus, such policy and its strategic implementation normalizes breastfeeding in public areas. The policy also ensures that the mother and child are provided with safe and sanitary environment as they breastfeed while they are performing both productive and reproductive roles.

The City also issued Executive Order (EO 2014-018) requiring the City Civil Registry to transmit to CPNO the monthly the list of marriages contracted in the City to track anticipate pregnancies in barangays. Another enabling policy (E.O. 2012-021) was issued to monitor the implementation of the ordinances and created the Breastfeeding Technical Working Group (BTWG) composed of various officers from the City, Sangunian, and DepEd. Consequently, these strategic local laws paved the way towards efficient coordination, implementation and monitoring of the Breastfeeding Program in the City. Thus, the Program’s monitoring efforts found that more mothers in the City breastfeed until their child is two (2) years old. As such, the mother forms stronger bond with the child who receives more nourishment from the breastmilk. Thus, this Program contributes to achieving gender quality and women empowerment goals by engaging the public and the private sector to encourage and ensure enabling spaces for breastfeeding mothers, boost maternal and child health and end gender-based  discrimination.

GAD LLH Coordinator:

Name: Vice Mayor Cecilia B. Veluz-De Asis
Email address: nenedeasis@yahoo.com
Mobile Number: 0917-503-0350 or 0919-008-3036

GAD Local Learning Hubs: 

Abra de Ilog (Likha Iraya)
Aklan (ACCW and MOVE-Aklan Chapter)
Baybay City (BMIS and WEE Program)
Davao City (IGDD, OSC-VAW, CMC, and Ray of Hope Village)
Iloilo (Convergence for Women’s Economic Empowerment Program)
Mabalacat City (Early Childhood Care and Development Program)
Misamis Occidental (PGADO)
Naga (Bantay Familia, GROW Negosyo Program, and Breast Feeding Program)
Palawan (LWC)
Pangasinan (PCIC)
Quezon City (QCPC and Social Hygiene and Sundown Clinics)
Quezon Province (PGADO, LKB Program, and 2-in-1 Program)