The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) placed second in the agency category of the DOST Gender and Development (DOST GAD) Mainstreaming Awards 2022.
DOST-PCAARD Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Resource Management and Support Services Melvin B. Carlos accepted the award on behalf of the Council on June 13, 2022, during the DOST@64: Gabi ng Parangal at Pasasalamat held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Pasay City.
The awarding was spearheaded by the Central Office in partnership with the DOST GAD and Regional Support Service led by the Assistant Secretary for Human Resource Management, Management Services, and Special Concerns, Dr. Diana L. Ignacio. A total of 16 regional offices, 18 attached agencies, and 16 Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Campuses were assessed for their gender mainstreaming initiatives using the tool developed by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the enhanced Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework.
The DOST GAD Mainstreaming Awards 2022 is an incentives and awards program of DOST as provided under Section 42 of RA 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women. It aims to recognize deserving regional offices, attached agencies, and PSHS campuses for their outstanding performance in gender mainstreaming and effective implementation of gender-responsive S&T programs, thereby upholding women's rights, achieving gender equality and women empowerment, and resulting in transforming the lives of women and men.
The gender mainstreaming efforts of the DOST-PCAARRD are led by the Gender and Development and Special Projects Unit (GADSPU) of the Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD). Annette M. Tobias leads the unit, which was established on June 1, 2020. GADSPU is the focal unit of DOST-PCAARRD that ensures the continuous efforts of gender responsive governance by promoting gender responsive management and transformative leadership through the conduct of various gender-related programs, projects, activities, and training.
In 2020, DOST-PCAARRD approved the implementation of the project, “Enhancement of Gender and Development Integration Towards a More Inclusive R&D in AANR,” which implemented a comprehensive assessment of the integration of gender in R&D and determined the integrating strategies that can be pursued. Tobias, along with Trisha Mapacpac, Jessica Juliano, and Jo-Jee Ocampo were responsible for the implementation of the project.
The said staff members of GADSPU also serve as the GAD Secretariat of the Council. They facilitate the implementation of the gender mainstreaming efforts of the agency through GAD planning and budgeting process. They also process requirements as a compliance to the Memorandum Circular No. 2011-01 released by the Philippine Commission on Women. The secretariat coordinates with the GAD Executive Committee, composed of the PCAARRD’s Directors Council, and the GAD Technical Working Group, composed of representatives from all PCAARRD divisions, to enable the gender mainstreaming process in the agency.
To ensure continuity of PCAARRD’s gender mainstreaming efforts, the Gender and Development Program Strategic S&T Plan for 2022-2028 was formulated. The plan has four priority R&D programs that aim to create a gender-disaggregated organizational assessment of rural-based organizations (RBOs), determine the specific role of women livelihood operators in selected municipalities, develop gender- and crisis-responsive market chains in various commodities, and create gender-responsive enabling mechanisms on adoption of technological innovations.
PCAARRD’s sustained efforts on GAD mainstreaming in AANR R&D is in line with the United Nation’s mandate echoed by PCW that GAD mainstreaming ensure the governments to pursue gender equality in all aspects of the development process to achieve the vision of a gender-responsive society where women and men equally contribute to and benefit from development.