The Gender and Development Focal Point System (GAD FPS) of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), through its Technical Working Group (TWG) spearheaded the GAD Plan and Budget (GPB) Seminar Workshop on 18 October 2022 at the NDCP Honor Hall, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo.

Ms. Jocelyn B. Balanag, a member of the National GAD Resource Pool of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and a Specialist from the Department of Legislative Liaison Unit, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), discussed the fundamental policy imperatives for GAD planning and budgeting; and the important roles of GAD FPS and TWG.

The workshop covered legal frameworks such as the Magna Carta of Women (MCW) 2009, Women in Development and Nation-building Act, and the annual General Appropriations Act, among others. Chapter VI paragraph (a) of MCW, require government departments and agencies to allocate 5 percent of their budget for the formulation and implementation of GAD programs and projects to address gender issues.

The NDCP, through the workshop, ensures efficient planning, allocation, and attribution of resources for GAD in compliance with aforementioned laws.

The GPB seminar workshop reinforces the recently conducted Harmonized GAD Guidelines workshop, which highlighted the areas and issues in the programs and projects of the NDCP that needs further improvement in integrating and attributing GAD.

In his inspiration message, NDCP Executive Vice President and Chairperson of GAD FPS Captain Aldrin C. Cuña, MNSA stated that “If the College’s goal is to promote and ensure people’s full participation in our society regardless of their gender, beliefs, social standing, and preferences, we must, therefore, strive harder by ensuring that our programs and projects are aligned with what a gender-inclusive society requires”.