BAGUIO CITY-- The Cordillera Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) formally welcomed through a Committee resolution the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos - North Luzon (NCMF-NL) as its newest member in its first quarter meeting held virtually last January 28.
The membership of the NCMF to the RGADC will strengthen the committee’s advocacy on gender mainstreaming particularly in the Muslim Filipino community in the region.
The NCMF is a government agency tasked to provide assistance in the formulation, coordination, implementation and monitoring of policies, plans, program and projects affecting Muslim Filipino communities. It has nine regional offices including one for North Luzon which is located in Baguio City.
The NCMF-NL expressed its interest to become a member of the Cordillera RGADC. The RGADC found merits in the NCMF GAD initiatives which range from participation in regular GAD advocacy activities, conduct of GAD awareness programs in communities, and provision of social services to women.
Civil Service Commission-CAR Public Assistance and Liaison Division Chief Adoraline B. Marigza expressed hopes in NCMF participating and forging partnerships not only with the RGADC but also with other regional line agencies.
In the same forum, PCW GAD Specialist Nharleen Santos-Millar gave an orientation on Gender and Development Local Learning Hub (GAD LLH) program and certification guidelines.
The GAD LLH program is a venue where local government units(LGUs) can share and replicate GAD-related innovations of other LGUs to strengthen their own GAD mainstreaming efforts. Currently, 12 LGUs nationwide have certified GAD LLHs.
POPCOM-CAR Regional Director Magdalena G. Abellera shared the Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning program which aims to assist couples to achieve their desired number and spacing of children and attain zero unmet need for modern family planning.
She said that males play a big part in family planning and in ensuring responsible parenthood. POPCOM-CAR adapted the strategy called “Men Tako” where men will talk to other men about reproductive health and responsible parenthood. According to Abellera, men tend to share and relate more if they talk to other men.
POPCOM-CAR and its partners have already reached a total of 105,621 men from 2019 to 2021 in CAR in this endeavor.
The Cordillera RGADC is a support committee of the RDC that recommends policies and programs on gender mainstreaming and gender equality as it coordinates gender and development efforts in the region for the implementation of national laws and program on GAD. NEDA-CAR provides secretariat services.
