2007 DENR GAD Annual Report

In 2007, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources undertook several Gender and Development (GAD) projects and activities. The mainstreaming of GAD in the Department’s regular programs has been continuously undertaken as stipulated in the Department’s 2005-2010 GAD Strategic Plan.

Strengthening of GAD Focal Point System

The GAD Focal Point System in each office has conducted several activities. A total of 294 meetings has been conducted in the form of seminars, conferences, training, workshops, lectures, team building sessions, consultation and periodic meetings. They also attended fora/trainings and seminars conducted by other agencies/offices.

Two batches of participants have undergone Re-echo Training on Harmonized GAD Guidelines. The training for the first batch was held on June 4-5, 2007 at Makiling Highlands Resort, Calamba Laguna while that for the second batch was held on October 4-5, 2007 at Fontana Resort Clark Pampanga. The Lands Management Bureau, NAMRIA and Regions 2, 6, CAR have already conducted their echo workshop.

Capability Building

A total of 34 sessions on gender sensitivity training and gender responsive planning has been conducted during the year in Regions 2, 3, 4A, 6, 7,9, 11 and CAR participated in by  the DENR employees and clienteles such as CBFMP and upland beneficiaries, PAMB members, women’s coastal groups, among others.

GAD Networking/Linkaging

The establishment of linkages with various offices/ agencies such as  Department of Social Work and Development, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Labor and Employment, National Economic Development Authority, Population Control Commission, National Nutrition Council, Department of Health, Provincial and Municipal Government, Highland Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (HARRDEC) GAD Focal Point and the Regional Organization of GAD Focal Points (ROGFP), LGUs, FRBC, industries, farmers, fishermen and academe has continuously been undertaken.

Employees Welfare

Several GAD programs of the Department focused on the welfare of its employees. Skills training, establishment and maintenance of day care centers, provision of health management services, among others have been conducted. For the year, a total of ten (10) day care centers (dcc) has been maintained in Regions 2, 6, 7 (2 dcc), 8, CAR, CARAGA, NAMRIA, MGB and at the DENR-Central Office.

GAD Advocacy and Promotion

 The Department’s month-long celebration was launched on March 5, 2007 at the DENR Main Building’s lobby. It started with a flag ceremony followed by the opening program. It was highlighted by a trade fair exhibit participated in by different women partner entrepreneurs and enterprising groups and a “Potting Session” which was simultaneously conducted nationwide on March 16, 2007.

 Several IEC activities have been conducted for the year in different regions and offices. They produced and distributed IEC materials on GAD, VAWC, Nutrition and Health Information Kits, International articles, among others, released monthly publication of DENRICH, radio interview at Radyo ng Bayan-DPWE, and maintained GAD mini-llibrary, information center and GAD Bulletin Boards.

C. GAD Service Awards

The Awarding Ceremony of the 2006 DENR GAD Service Awards was conducted on June 28, 2007 at the DENR Multi-Purpose Hall, Diliman, Quezon City. For the Most Gender Responsive Project, the Lapinig Island Mangrove Rehabilitation Sub-Project in San Vicente and Villa Milagros, Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol got the 1st place while the Banila Community Based Forest Management Project in Dupax Del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya and Saranay Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Brgy. San Macario Sur, Natividad Pangasinan got the 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

For the Most Gender Responsive Project Implementor, Forester Marita Garces of Maseil-seil Watershed Sub-Project got the 1st place whilst Ms. Pilar De Rueda (DENR-R7) and Ms. Monette Santos (ERDB) were declared as Most Effective Gad Focal Point.

The Department proposed three (3) projects for possible funding by the GREAT Women Project, NCRFW-CIDA. These are Capability Building on Environmental Management System and Pollution Prevention (EMB), Documentation of Success Stories of Women’s Enterprises in Ecotourism (PAWB) and Support to Micro and Small Enterprises on Natural Resources (Community Livelihood Assistance Program) (FMB). All activities will be implemented in three (3) years, CY 2008-2010 except for the proposal of EMB. The Department is also one of the member agencies of the Project Steering Committee of the GREAT Women Project.

Formulation/Updating of ENR Policies

 On June 18, 2007, Department Administrative Order No. 2007-11 otherwise known as “Representation of GAD Focal Points in the Promotion and Selection Board (PSB), Policy Technical Working Group (PTWG), Performance Evaluation Review (PER), Program on      Rewards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE), Grievance Committee and other Personnel Mechanisms in the ENR Sector was signed and approved by the former DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes. The DENR-NGADFPS and ERDB have identified and designated permanent and alternate members for each mechanism.

DENR- CALABARZON, on the other hand, issued a Memorandum Order to the PENR and CENR Officers to encourage more women to file public land applications instead of their husbands; require the segregation of sexes iin Attendance Sheets on various DENR activities; indicate names of wives in CSC issued to the husbands; establish database on patents issued to women; and initiate and implement solid waste segregation in the Regional Office.

At DENR-CAR, policies on flexi-time, DAO 2007-11, and Memorandum Order signed and approved by its Regional Executive Director dated July 31, 2007 allowing the DENR mothers to fetch their children from school were adopted and implemented.

Database Management

The DENR GAD Webpage has been created. Said webpage will incorporate all GAD programs, projects, policies, sex-disaggregated data on patent issuance, DENR employees, and current events, among others. It will be launched on the 2nd quarter of 2008. 

Regional offices also maintained and updated their database on GAD related programs and activities. In Region 1, sex-disaggregated data on manpower complement, project beneficiaries, and recipients of Handog Titulo Program have been installed and maintained. The same was noted in some Regions like in Regions 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, CARAGA and CAR. DENR-Region 4A, on the other hand, has already posted their statistical data in the GAD page of DENR-R4A such as manpower complement, list of working couples in the Region, women patentees, among others.

GAD Mainstreaming

The DENR-NGADFPS strengthened its efforts to mainstream gender and development in its programs, projects and activities and has increased awareness and participation of various stakeholders especially women on environment and natural resources (ENR) programs and projects on different sectors under the Department such as on Forestry, Biodiversity and Coastal & Marine Management, Mines and Geosciences, Lands, and Environment.