To assess and strengthen the gender responsiveness of the programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) across the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) banner programs, the Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS) National Secretariat conducted the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) Workshop for DA Banner Programs and Projects on September 1-4 at the DA-Regional Field Office (RFO) V in Pili, Camarines Sur.
Attended by GAD focal persons and representatives from the DA RFOs banner programs, and special projects, the workshop aimed to evaluate the gender‑responsiveness of the DA banner programs, update HGDG design score sheets and modes of verification, and complete the HGDG Project Implementation, Management, Monitoring and Evaluation (PIMME) Checklist while drafting narrative accomplishment reports for the 2026 GAD Accomplishment Report.
Through plenary sessions and group work, participants conducted an initial assessment of participating banner programs and projects and identified gaps and priority actions. Notable outputs included commitments by GFPS units to develop operational guidelines for gender‑responsive PAP conceptualization, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; a coordination mechanism for completing the Gender and Development (GAD) Plan and Budget (GPB) and GAD Accomplishment Report for banner programs, bureaus, and RFOs; a standardized Sex-Disaggregated Data (SDD) template with required modes of verification such as attendance sheets; and guidance on integrating gender considerations into plan and budget proposals.
DA-Field Programs Coordination and Monitoring Division Chief Lorna A. Villegas, head of the GFPS Secretariat, served as resource person and guided participants through the HGDG tools and checklists. Additionally, DA-Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards Director and DA-GFPS Technical Working Group chairperson Karen Kristine A. Roscom guided discussions for a unified GAD planning and monitoring guidelines for RFOs, programs, and projects.
In his opening remarks, DA RFO V OIC-Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Lorenzo L. Alvina stressed that gender mainstreaming is not mere compliance but essential to include farmers, fisherfolk, and other stakeholders in program planning. This was seconded by DA Assistant Secretary and GFPS Vice Chairperson Genevieve E. Velicaria‑Guevarra, who reiterated that the HGDG is a vital tool for strengthening the gender responsiveness of programs to ensure meaningful, high‑impact results.
Outputs from the workshop will be finalized and integrated into banner program planning and reporting cycles, advancing the DA’s commitment to make its programs and projects more gender‑responsive and to ensure that planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting systematically address gender concerns for more inclusive and equitable outcomes in the agriculture sector. | Tiffany Leanne C. Catbagan, DA-GAD/GESI; edited by DA-AFID
