Department of Public Works and Highways

genderand development

GENDER SENSITIVE AND RESPONSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES

  Gender.mainstreaming

                  From  Integration to Institutionalization

DPWH GAD POLICIES CONTINUES EMPOWERING WOMEN EMPLOYEES

To ensure the Department's continuing compliance with Republic Act No. 7192, otherwise known as the “Women in Development and Nation Building Act," Secretary Victor A. Domingo has reconstituted the DPWH Committee on GAD (COGAD). 

 GAD, which is short for Gender and Development, is the program centered on all efforts to unify the women of DPWH across the country, in order to address their concerns in a male-dominated infrastructure agency of the government. 

 Assistant Secretary for Planning Maria Catalina E. Cabral, Chairperson of DPWH-COGAD, said that it is high time that GAD policies be given importance for women employees in the department to raise awareness on their role in development and nation building. 

 To institutionalize mainstreaming of GAD in infrastructure development, Asec Cabral stated that the department has formulated policies and guidelines on mainstreaming GAD. 

 “We have constructed a sub-website for GAD in the DPWH website to establish right and accessible information,” Asec Cabral added.

 To provide safe and sustainable transport service to rank and file employees, GAD will provide a transport service for the Rank and File employees.

 The department is conducting a feasibility study on the provision of restrooms every 50 kilometers along national roads to provide more restrooms with more cubicles for greater responsiveness to the needs of travelers, especially women. 

To establish quarters responsive to the needs of women employees having separate sleeping quarters and bath/toilet facilities, GAD will rehabilitate/construct DPWH Regional cum Training Centers and District Headquarters. 

 Gender and Development Training for DPWH GAD Trainers were already conducted in two batches: first, for regional GAD focal persons and second, for the PMOs, Bureaus and Services.  Trainings were conducted to enhance their knowledge and change their attitude on Gender Development.  

In his Special Order No. 14, DPWH Secretary Victor Domingo designated DPWH Assistant Secretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral as Chairperson of GAD, while DPWH Monitoring and Information Service Director B. Elizabeth E. Yap as Vice-Chairperson.

 The members of GAD are Dir. Ardeliza R. Medenilla - Internal Audit Sevice (IAS), Dir. Burt B. Favorito - Administrative and Manpower Management Service (AMMS), Dir. Melvin B. Navarro - Planning Service (PS), Project Dir. Ernesto S. Gregorio - Rural Water Supply and Comprehensive and Agrarian Reform Program Project Management Office (RWS, CARP-PMO), Assistant Project Director Nimfa E. Potante - Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEDCF-PMO), District Engineer Mikunug D. Macud - NCR South Manila District Engineering Office (NCR-SMDEO) and Mr. Carmelito M. Tizon - President, Central Office Employees Union (CO-EU).

 Meanwhile, the Technical Working Group was created to assist the Committee in liaising and coordinating with other agencies including civil society organizations working on gender and development.  It was headed by Assistant Project Manager Dolores B. Hipolito - DPWH Disaster Mitigation for Camiguin Island Project, while the members are Engr. Rebecca T. Garsuta, Development Planning Division, Planning Service; Ms. Alma M. Lim, Human Resource Training & Materials Development Division, AMMS; Ms. Ma. Nieva S. De la Paz, Application Development Division-MIS, Ms. Elizabeth P. Pilorin, Public Information Division-MIS, Atty. Daisy D. Dellosa, Legal Service; Mr. Renato P. Canlas, Bureau of Construction, Ms. Rosario C. Gata, Asian Development Bank-PMO and Dr. Unido D. Fabregas, Medical DivisionAMMS.

 The TWG is also tasked to assist in promoting advocacy on gender and development through the formulation of training modules to be integrated into the training programs of the Department; in identifying gender issues/needs at different levels in the DPWH and oversee all implemented gender related activities through regular communication by Regional, District, Project Management Offices to the Committee through consolidated quarterly reports of compliance.

Monitoring and Information Service Director B. Elizabeth E. Yap, DPWH-GAD Vice-Chairperson said that, “although we have heard of GAD for the past years, we have yet to see the empowered women of DPWH go into real action.” 

 “With the accomplishments of GAD for the past years taking into consideration the implementation of projects attributed to women, such as roads, bridges, water supply projects and other infrastructure, this time we have to focus on the ‘warm bodies’ - the working DPWH women, regardless of status,” Director Yap added.