Davao City GAD LLHs: Agents of Change Towards Gender-responsive Local Governance




The City of Davao was among the first five (5) pioneer LGUs recognized by the PCW in 2015 for its notable GAD initiatives and program. The current four (4) notable GAD programs are as follows: a) Integrated Gender and Development Division; Office of the Special Counsel on VAW; c) Child-Minding Centers; and d) Ray of Hope Village. These are facilities and services that serve as enabling mechanisms to catalyze gender-responsive local governance.


Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD)

The Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) influences and catalyzes the LGU’s gender mainstreaming efforts by coordinating and working with City and Barangay-level policymakers to sustain and strengthen GAD-related programs, facilities and services. Likewise, the IGDD ensures that its stakeholders are updated on GAD-related information and relevant laws/policies. Since 2006, the IGDD provides GAD-related capacity building activities with focus on gender sensitivity, GAD orientation, and GAD Planning and Budgeting. They also conduct orientations/trainings on laws like the Anti-sexual Harassment Act (RA 7877), Anti-rape Law (RA 8353), Anti-VAWC Law (RA 9262), and the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710). The IGDD also provides other trainings such as entrepreneurial activities and skills training for women, mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and HIV/AIDS.

As the prime-mover of GAD-related efforts in the City, the IGDD is proactively sought by different offices and groups for GAD-related assistance. Given their facilitative role on gender mainstreaming, monitoring efforts are likewise made easy when collecting GAD-related reports from the Barangays, such as data on VAWC, Barangay Protection Order (BPO) issued, and family cases handled. Hence, IGDD’s enabling presence in the LGU contributes to gender equality though enhancing governance systems and processes to strengthen gender-responsive local governance.


Office of the Special Counsel on VAW (OSC-VAW)

The Office of the Special Counsel on VAW (OSC-VAW) provides free legal assistance dedicated to VAW victim-survivors seeking justice or redress from perpetrators of abuse/violence. The Office also refers clients to key government offices or institutional partners to seek economic or psycho-social support/assistance. Presently, there are nine (9) OSC-VAW staff, including five (5) lawyers, one (1) psychologist, and three (3) technical staff.

The office also refers their clients to other offices/institutions for medical and psycho-social needs, and assist them in filing the cases. Likewise, the OSC-VAW expanded its program by providing counseling, capital assistance, livelihood training, and scholarships to the children of their clients. Such services also provide their clients with other resources to address relevant practical needs, as well as opportunities to network with people who can give psycho-social support.

The OSC-VAW staff’s direct interventions for the victim-survivors are grounded on their gender-sensitive conduct of interviews with clients to avoid double victimization. Likewise, the insights and learnings gathered from interfacing with clients enable the OSC-VAW lawyers, psychologist, and technical staff to provide feedback to IGDD in effectively engaging men, especially when the staff serve as resource persons during gender sensitivity trainings for men.


Child-Minding Center (CMC)

The Child-Minding Center (CMC) was established in 1998 to cater to the children of Davao City local government employees who are at least three (3) months old but below four (4) years old. The Center prioritizes the children of solo, and poor parents who are not capable of hiring babysitters/caretakers of their children. In 2019, the CMC transferred to its new building, thus more children were accommodated to include those from the community-based constituents of the LGU. The facility helps the parents perform their productive roles and access the early childhood care and development for their children.

The CMC is under the supervision/management of Davao City Social Services and Development Office. The facility is capable of accommodating 20 to 25 children clients from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. The CMC staff is composed of three (3) registered midwives, one (1) daycare worker, and three (3) security guards. To learn about positive-behavior parenting, and avoidance of gender stereotypes on clothes and behaviors of children, the CMC staff and parents are continuously trained on gender-related concepts and gender-sensitive childcare.

This facility addresses the practical gender needs of women/men parents who are unable to care for their child as they perform their productive roles. Likewise, women who are typically relegated to care for their children are also able to perform their productive roles.

Ray of Hope Village

The Ray of Hope Village of Davao City under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Region XI was established in 2008 as a separate detention facility for female persons deprived of liberties (PDLs). The facility has 20 cottages that accommodates 10-15 inmates per cottage, with a maximum overall capacity of 300 PDLs.  The Ray of Hope Village is managed by 35 BJMP staff/officers.

The facility promotes restorative justice to PDLs who are locally known as bakasyonistas to avoid stigma for PDLs. True to its name, the facility gives hope to female PDLs by providing them with formal/non-formal education while inside the facility. The PDLs are likewise trained on income-generating activities and livelihood training programs like sewing, dressmaking, and production of bags and accessories.

These training program initiatives are implemented in partnership with TESDA, DepED, and private entities/organizations. Some of the products of the PDLs are displayed and sold at one of the Pasalubong Centers of Davao City through the facility’s private partners. The PDLs deem that their conditions improved despite their stay inside the facility because of the income they get, which helps them provide for their family’s daily needs. These efforts prepare the PDL’s reintegration in mainstream society and their families.


GAD LLH Coordinator:
OIC Division Chief Lorna B. Mandin
Phone: (082) 226-8011 or (082) 241-1000 local 205 or 339
Email Address: igdo@davaocity.gov.ph/igdd_davao@yahoo.com/igdd.davao@gmail.com


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)