ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) recently conferred the Regional Development Council (RDC) 6 and Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) 6 with the Gender-Inclusive Regional Development Plan Award and Most Innovative Regional GAD Mechanism Award, respectively.

The RDC 6 was recognized under the “AlaGAD ng Pagpaplano” category for mainstreaming GAD perspectives in the formulation of the Regional Development Plan (RDP) of Western Visayas (WV) for 2023 to 2028.

women empowerment in terms of job generation and functional health literacy, gender-transformative lifelong learning, and the elimination of gender-based violence, among others.

Meanwhile, the RGADC 6 was awarded under the “AlaGAD ng Pagbabago” for facilitating a Virtual Learning Session on Gender Transformative Reportage on June 28, 2021.

To date, this is the second batch of recognition that the RDC and RGADC 6 have received from PCW.

Ira G. Pahila, Senior Economic Development Specialist of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 6 and part of the RGADC 6 Technical Secretariat noted that these were made possible with the active and constant support of the Committee members from both the government and the private sector.

“To better strengthen GAD advocacy, it must start from within. We need more advocates who are able to walk the talk. These are individuals and institutions that are able to provide safe spaces and transform mindsets for a more equal, just, diverse and humane society,” she added.

Pahila accompanied the current RGADC 6 Chairperson Febie S. Ibojos of Signpost Philippines, Inc. in receiving the awards during the 3rd RGADC Summit held at the Manila Prince Hotel recently. (EAD-AGP/PIA 6)