ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) 6 Metro Iloilo Airshed (MIA) pushes for Gender and Development (GAD) mainstreaming across all its programs and activities.

Through its Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS), members of the three technical working groups (TWGs) of MIA were able to undergo Basic Gender Sensitivity Training held on Sept. 27.

The activity aims to capacitate MIA’s Community Advocacy Management (CAM), Resource Accessing Management (RAM), and Air Quality Standard Management (AQSM) members with basic gender concepts to attain gender fairness and equality in the implementation of the Clean Air Act and consequently achieve the goal to have clean air for all.

Lagance further noted the need to strengthen and empower all its stakeholders, regardless of gender, to take action in the implementation of the laws that ultimately lead to the attainment of the Bureau’s objectives.

“We need a gender-responsive and aware community where we deem one another as equal in the pursuit of a sustainable gender-fair environment in public service,” she added.

Magullado added that environmental development can be best achieved if men and women reach their fullest potential, unrestrained by oppressive and discriminative gender-based social constructs.

“By being capacitated with basic gender sensitivity concepts, we can ensure that people will rely less on assumptions about traditional and outdated views on the roles of men and women,” Magullado added.

To note, the GAD budget policy was introduced through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) in 1995 as “The Women’s Budget” to support with actual resources the implementation of programs and projects on the ground, focused on gender advocacy and commitment to women’s empowerment.

This policy further directs all government departments and agencies to allocate a minimum of five percent of their total annual budgets for gender programs, projects, and activities.  (AAL/AGP/PIA 6)