Reaffirming its commitment to gender and development as part of the National Women’s Month 2025 celebration, the Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS) Office of Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) spearheaded a webinar titled Strengthening the University’s GAD Advocacy through the Use of Gender-Responsive Tools, which was held on March 18, 2025, via Zoom and Facebook Live.
Nharleen Santos-Millar, OIC Executive Director of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), shared her expertise and experience by presenting a developed gender-responsive tool for evaluating instructional materials in basic, higher, and technical-vocational education, as well as discussing the GADtimpala for Outstanding Gender-Responsive State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), which recognizes exemplary performance in gender mainstreaming.
“Education [sector] is one of the social institutions that somehow influence how people think about the roles of men and women. Isa s’yang socializing institution that can potentially maintain the current gender-based stereotypes that we know, or it can potentially change the type of gender stereotyping we have known,” Santos-Millar stated.
Meanwhile, Kim Harold T. Peji, the Supervising Gender and Development (GAD) Specialist and OIC of the Technical Services and Regional Coordination Division (TSRCD) of PCW, presented the GFPS Functionality Assessment Tool (GFAsT), which is designed to establish a functional mechanism for mainstreaming gender and development perspectives while evaluating the GFPS’s performance based on the parameters set forth by the Magna Carta of Women and PCW.
Also present virtually were Dr. Lora L. Yusi, Director IV of the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office III, who shared a message on exploring innovative solutions and strategies to amplify efforts in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment; Dr. Dolores T. Quiambao, Vice President for Student Affairs and Services and Director for GFPS, together with the DHVSU-GFPS technical working group; and Engr. Reden M. Hernandez, DHVSU Executive Vice President, Vice President for Administration and Finance, and concurrent Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“Let us commit to being agents of change in building a gender-fair society where inclusivity is not just an ideal, but a reality,” Engr.Hernandez said in his message.
He further emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of inclusivity, respect, and shared responsibility to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.
The sessions concluded with an open forum, providing participants from various government agencies and state universities and colleges in Central Luzon the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers.
