The Department of the Interior and Local Government is set to recognize its top performing regional offices for institutional gender mainstreaming initiatives through the maiden offering of the Gender and Development (GAD) Seal Certification Program this year.
“The DILG is committed to raising the bar in the promotion of GAD-related initiatives in the government sector and of course we would want it to start from us. This GAD Seal Certification Program is our contribution towards that goal and a tangible proof of the recipients’ efforts to champion GAD initiatives,” Sec. Benhur C. Abalos, Jr. said in a statement.
Under DILG Memorandum Circular 2023-070 that Abalos issued last May 12, DILG regional offices will be assessed based on: use of at least five percent of the agency’s/institution’s total budget for GAD, institutionalization and functionality of the GAD Focal Point System, establishment of GAD database, establishment and functionality of committee on decorum and investigation, availability of breastfeeding station and child-minding station, establishment of GAD corner, provision of GAD-related trainings or technical assistance, and a showcase of GAD-related initiatives or GAD best practices.
The GAD Seal Certification Program will have three components, namely assessment criteria and documentary requirement, the scoring system, and the certification procedure.
Regional offices that acquire a score of 15 to 19 points will receive the GAD Seal Certification.
The GAD Seal will be valid for one year for the qualified entity and shall be renewed to ensure compliance with the eligibility and minimum requirements set.
The pilot year of the GAD seal certification program will focus on DILG regional offices in 2023, excluding the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The conferment ceremony of the GAD seal certification will be in October. – PNA
