TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, May 17 (PIA) -- The Capitol here has institutionalized measures to advance its gender and development agenda for this term with the launching of ARISGADA and the signing of two key executive orders that would lay the foundation for women’s rights and empowerment on May 17.

Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado also signed on that same day Executive Order No. 24, creating the Gender and Development (GAD) Resource Center at the Capitol.

Aumentado, a week earlier, also amended Executive Order reconstituting the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) of the Provincial Government through Executive Order No. 21, series of 2023.

According to the governor, there have been advances in non-discrimination and gender equality to motivate women’s participation in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of development policies and plans, but he still acknowledges the need to do more.

In his order, the governor cited Provincial Ordinance No. 2018-008 or the Revised Gender and Development Code of Bohol legislated to promote women empowerment, gender equality, women human rights and gender-responsive socio-economic development as indispensable social interventions in the task of building a progressive, peaceful and harmonious community.

Bohol Human Resource and Management Development Officer Anne Mariquit Oppus said she was happy that the gender and development agenda of the Aumentado Administration is defined, adding that this is aligned with her personal advocacy as a woman politician before.  

The provincial government's gender and development program is now defined by its goals towards the abatement and reduction of gender-based violence through accountable utilization of the 5% budget for GAD, responsive and inclusive multi-sectoral participatory, updated and enforced policies as well as setting up of institutionalized and intensified advocacy and information campaign and awareness of the gender based development agenda.

This is topped by strengthened and functional organizational structures in sustained partnership and collaboration of stakeholdérs for gender equality and empowerment, explained Oppus who is the GAD focal peson, during the launch at the Capitol. 

Two Executive Orders 

Aumentado, whose wife replaced him as the congressman for Bohol’s second district, reconstituted the Provincial Government’s CODI as he guarantees dignity, fairness, and full respect for human rights in the investigation of sexual harassment, especially in the workplace.

Capitol’s CODI now has six members chaired by Atty. Handel Lagunay, Board Member Vincenzo Arcamo, Oppus, Engr. Charlie Torremocha representing second level positions, Tiara Lourdes Bulilan representing first level positions, and Susan Datahan of the Bohol Provincial Employees League.

CODI shall act on elevated complaints of sexual harassment by employees or private individuals within 10 days and recommends action within five working days to the disciplining authority.

They are also mandated to implement pro-active measures to prevent sexual harassment and conduct continuing education on the guidelines on the administrative disciplinary rules on sexual harassment cases involving officials and employees of Bohol.

He also signed the order creating the GAD Resource Center at the Capitol to fortify fundamental GAD advocacies like anti-violence against women and their children, reproduction health, women in governance, promotion of justice peace and order, labor and employment, environment and natural resources, education, media, arts, culture, trade, industry and tourism, socio-economic benefits for women, disaster and risk deduction management and climate change adaptation and other special sectoral concerns.    

The center ensures and maintains updated library of GAD materials, women studies across disciplines, conducts training programs on gender sensitivity, gender planning and budgeting, provides technical assistance in preparation of GAD accomplishment plan, budget, conducts research programs to pick gender issues and propose actions. 

It also creates the local economic development women in economic empowerment committee, which formulates programs in the integration of gender-based violence victims and trafficked persons with agency partners, enhance cooperative efforts with foreign countries to prevent trafficking in persons, adopt measures to protect the rights of the victims of these transgressions.

The resource center also conducts capability building programs for women with special needs, initiate measures to curb human abuse, assist in law enforcement on domestic violence and trafficking and support gender-based studies for policy formulation and development.

It is also tasked to collect, compile, analyze and present data and indicators for policy formulation, program planning and implementation as well as maintain a databank on gender violence, trafficking in persons and GAD-related statistics for open access to partner and relevant agencies as well as enhance its databank from other partner agency sources. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)