Plotting a Clearer Course: GAD Champions Steer
Gender-Responsive Governance with Experience and Vision

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) convenes GFPS leaders and members to update them on recent GAD policies,
build capacities, share good practices, and celebrate milestones in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment

Over 700 government leaders and advocates gathered in Quezon City last September 1-3 for the 5th National Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS) Convention, a monumental reunion 11 years after the last assembly. 

Spearheaded by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the event brought together members of the GFPS from across the country to celebrate milestones and re-affirm shared leadership and commitments towards gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE).

A network of Gender and Development (GAD) champions within government agencies, the GFPS is the engine driving the Philippine Government’s commitment to GAD mainstreaming. This involves making sure that the specific needs and concerns of women and varying impacts of development on women, men, and people with diverse gender identity are integrated into  policies, programs, and budget outlays of the government. This mission is perfectly captured by the convention’s theme: “Reaping Gains, Celebrating Milestones, and Strengthening the Roles of GFPS for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”.

The 5th National GFPS Convention became the rendezvous of GFPS members across the country after 11 years.
Participants geared for the plenary and parallel sessions to pick up wisdom and inspiration as their guidance towards gender-responsive governance.

HALIGI: GFPS as pillars that bind GAD strategies

Recognizing the GFPS’s shared noble identity with PCW as trailblazers of gender equality, PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla welcomed the delegates by reminding them of the glorious precolonial culture of the  Babaylans, the revered women and feminine men leaders and healers, in pre-colonial Philippine society. She reminded everyone that long before colonization, women were at the heart of our ancestral  culture, embodying wisdom, strength, sacred power and harmony. She urged the participants to stand side by side with PCW in recovering the traditions of respect, equality, feminine power, and harmony that were dismantled by colonization. 

PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla welcomed the GFPS members, urging them to embody
the Babaylan spirit of wisdom, strength, courage, and harmony and champions of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

“You are the pillars that hold our strategies together; the vehicle that brings our policies and programs closer to the Filipino women; the engine that ignites the creativity to translate policies into actions and results; the surgical team that extracts the cancer cells of women’s oppression; the engineers that redesign the building blocks of an egalitarian gender relation,” she affirmed. 

This powerful message served as a call to action: to reclaim the nation’s rich heritage of gender equality and use it as a foundation for a more inclusive future. Despite a century of progress since liberation,  gender-restrictive colonial culture still dominates the ways of life in the Philippines,  limiting the full realization of potential and contributions of our people to national progress.

SANDATA: GAD budget as a unique tool for change

The Philippines stands as a pioneer in advancing gender equality. We are the only country with two legislated GAD budgets—5 to 30 percent from official development assistance and at least 5 percent from the General Appropriations Act (GAA). This commitment ensures that resources are readily accessible to fuel initiatives that advance and promote GEWE.

In her keynote address delivered on her behalf by Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah ‘Mina’ F. Pangandaman underscored the vital role of GFPS as champions of inclusivity, accountability, and hope—working toward a nation where equity is not only reflected in policies and plans, but experienced in the daily lives of every Filipino.

On behalf of DBM Secretary Amenah ‘Mina’ F. Pangandaman, DBM Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran hails the synergistic efforts of all government instrumentalities
in translating the budget to actual programs and projects that make gender equality a lived reality for Filipino women.

“Advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment is not the task of one agency alone, but a whole-of-government and whole-of-society mission. We must continue to break barriers and shatter glass ceilings together so that every program, project, and peso in our national budget truly delivers equity, inclusion, and empowerment in our Bagong Pilipinas,” she said.

This powerful synergy between policy and funding is what enables the GFPS to translate high-level plans into tangible results that improve the daily lives of Filipino women.

Plenary Session 1: The Role of GFPS in Gender Mainstreaming and Status of the GFPS for the last five (5) Years
(GFPS Profile Report) by PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar.

Plenary Session 2: Overview of the GAD Focal Point System Functionality Assessment Tool (GFAsT) for NGAs by PCW OIC-Chief GAD Specialist Kim Harold T. Peji
and Plenary Session 3: Presentation of the 2025 GAD Budget Call by PCW Senior GAD Specialist Clehenia Aurora B. San Juan.

Plenary Session 4: Audit of GAD Funds and Activities in Government by COA Asst. Commissioner Fortunata M. Rubico
and Plenary Session 5: The Role of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as Gender Ombud by CHR Commissioner Faydah Maniri Dumarpa.

YUGTO: 2025 as the year of ‘herstoric’ milestones

The year 2025 is a landmark for GAD in the Philippines, marked by several significant anniversaries that reflect decades of dedicated advocacy: 

• 50th anniversary of the PCW: Half a century of progress in advocating for women’s rights;
• 45th anniversary of the Philippines’ signing of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): reaffirming adherence to global standards on women’s rights; and
• 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) and the GAD Budget Policy: celebrating the global action plan for women as foundational policies that have shaped the national GAD agenda.

This year also marks the culmination of the 30-year Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development 1995-2025, providing an opportunity to evaluate its impact and set the course for future gender-responsive planning.

PINUNO: UN recognizes PH as a leader in empowerment of women and girls

During the second day of the event, UN United Nations (UN) Country Team Resident Coordinator Arnaud Peral
congratulated the Philippines for being a global leader in GEWE, reflected by the multiple milestones it achieved.

Our country’s efforts have not gone unnoticed on the global stage. During the convention, United Nations (UN) Country Team Resident Coordinator Arnaud Peral praised the Philippines as a “global bellwether” in charting a path towards gender equality, a key component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

“We need the leadership of the Philippines,” Mr. Peral stated, encouraging the delegates to share their best practices with the international community. He also noted a global pushback against women’s rights, making the country’s consistent progress even more crucial as a beacon of hope. He stressed the urgent need to prioritize gender equality, calling it the “most critical accelerator” for development across all sectors.

In his message of support, UN Country Team Resident Coordinator Arnaud Peral recognizes the significance
of the convention as a beneficial step to share best practices and galvanize the country’s pathways towards GEWE

Beaming with indefatigable aspiration to achieve the SDGs, he applauded the Philippine government’s initiatives for a gender-responsive governance, with the convention as an example. “It takes training, it takes exchanges like this one, where we learn from each other the best practices. So all together we will make it, women and men all around the country, all together for the same cause of progressing with gender equality and making a better life and a better future for all. ”

Plenary Session 6: Deputy Executive Director for Operations Anita E. Baleda orients the participants
on the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) Six Plus One before they disperse to attend the parallel sessions.

PANATA: Sharing of knowledge and shaping narratives to bolster commitments

The parallel sessions comprehensively explore women’s rights, empowerment, and protection across diverse sectors like health, politics, and technology. They also address critical issues such as gender-based violence, the care economy, and the specific challenges faced by youth and diverse gender identities.

Throughout the convention, GFPS members attended a series of plenary and parallel sessions, diving into topics from gender-based violence and the care economy to the unique challenges faced by diverse gender identities. Sectoral sessions examined gender mainstreaming across health, education, politics, media, youth, SOGIESC, and social protection, among others.

Spotlight was also given to the recertification of Province of Palawan’s Lualhati Women’s Center (LWC) and the Pangasinan Crisis Intervention Center (PCIC) as Certified GAD Local Learning Hubs. These hubs are sanctuaries for those facing violence and exploitation. 

PCW Chairperson Valdeavilla paid tribute to the awardees, highlighting the scalability and sustainability of good practices. “This milestone is not just about certification—it is about lives being made so much better for those who are most disadvantaged and marginalized. It is about women, children, and individuals who once stood at the edge of despair, now finding hope, safety, and a future because of the sanctuaries you have built.”

The PCW recertifies the Lualhati Women’s Center (LWC) and the Pangasinan Crisis Intervention Center (PCIC), reaffirming their mandate as GAD Local Learning Hubs for 2025–2028. PCW Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla, Executive Director Nharleen-Santos Millar, together with PCW members of the board, Myrna T. Yao and Dr. Cecilia La Madrid-Dy, bestowed the markers to the representatives of the provincial governments of Palawan and Pangasinan.

The heavy markers handed over replicate the gravity of their triumphs—as steadfast defenders against violence, abuse, and exploitation; as a refuge for those who stumble, a voice for the silenced, through doors that always open to anyone in need.

As the gathering reached its peak, voices of GFPS members from every corner of government rose in unison—carrying with them newfound wisdom, transformed into vows of renewed commitment to uplift the lives of Filipino women through the steady course of gender-responsive governance.

Plenary Session 7: Commitment Setting of Agencies by PCW Chief GAD Specialist Dr. Macario T. Jusayan

Plenary Session 8: Presentation of the PCW-CHED Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2025-02
or the GADtimpala Guidelines for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) PCW OIC-Chief GAD Specialist Armando G. Orcilla, Jr.

Plenary Session 9: Testimonial/Sharing of representative from GADtimpala Awardee agencies with PCW Information Officer V, Ms. Honey M. Castro

LAYAG: The GFPS set sail towards an inclusive Bagong Pilipinas

In a ceremonial toast, PCW Chairperson Valdeavilla honored the GFPS whose greatest strength lies in its people who are not merely representatives of their respective offices, but participants in a noble movement. She described them as a wellspring of boundless ingenuity, a fortress of grit and perseverance, and a fountain of inspiration in every responsibility they undertake. 

PCW Chairperson Valdeavilla honored the GFPS as a noble movement whose greatest strength
lies in its people—embodying ingenuity, perseverance, and inspiration in every responsibility.

“Our ancestors understood that sustainable change does not happen through coercion and control, but through united, persistent and purposeful action. We have redefined empowerment as the power to empower. Just as they connected the earth and the divine, we now connect policy and people, statistics and stories, mandates and lives transformed,” she stated, as participants raised their glasses and committed to break the glass ceiling.

With the wisdom of history as our compass, the strength of partnerships as our anchor, and the undying fire of the Babaylans as our guiding flame, PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar called upon all to set sail as adventurers aboard a great Balangay—united in purpose, steadfast in direction.

PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar walks the participants through the way forward, equating each GFPS member as a timónel—a navigator of change—reminding
that the GFPS is a fleet steering the nation toward a future of equal dignity and shared empowerment for all.

“Today, we commission you anew—not just as voyagers, but as captains of your own Balangays. Carry with you the learnings of these three days as your compass, your commitments as your sails, and your passion as the wind that propels you forward. May you return to your shores ready to steer policies, programs, and practices toward a horizon that is inclusive, just, and gender-responsive,” she challenged.

The GFPS members, as navigators of change steering the Balangay institutions toward gender-responsive governance, were enjoined to prepare for new journeys within their respective institutions. Though the seas ahead may bring storms of resistance and tides of inequality, with anchors of trust, sails of hope, and paddles of solidarity, they were reminded that together, the horizon of a gender-fair Bagong Pilipinas is not out of reach. 

Behind the scenes, the GFPS leaders and members thanked the PCW for the opportunity to share and learn from each other’s diverse experiences and shared vision for GEWE.

The convention concluded with a resounding call: Row together. Be bold. Stay grounded in the ancestral culture of women’s power and gender equality. The GFPS fleet is plotting a clearer course toward a future where every Filipino woman is empowered, through and by their shared leadership and reinvigorated commitments.