Gender and Development (GAD) Programs of Selected Local Communities in Mindanao Philippines

Abstract

Gender and Development (GAD) is one international concern that many countries had vowed to address (Beijing, 1990). In the Philippines it has been enacted into a law called EO 273 (1995-2025) or the Philippine Plan for Gender Development. The study aimed at assessing the Cagayan de Oro City sampled local communities of their implementation of EO 273 and the utilization of the 5% allotted for Gender and Development (GAD) programs, projects and activities. The twenty (20) sampled communities were those with top ten (10) highest Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and another ten (10) local communities which belong to the lowest IRA. Some 220 respondents answered the survey questionnaire. Statistics employed were Pearson Correlation procedure and t-test for two independent groups. Findings revealed that all the selected sampled local communities were not able to spend the 5% mandated for GAD PPAs. Therefore, EO 273 was not fully implemented although minimal expenditures were done for GAD activities such as: Celebration of International Women’s Day annually. Lack of awareness of the EO 273 was noted. The respondents however, wanted more advocacy-seminar/trainings on the EO 273. The respondents were highly satisfied with projects on health and nutrition like feeding program while they expressed low satisfaction on project on AIDS. As to socio-cultural projects, the respondents were most satisfied on the aspect on leadership. On economic projects, the most satisfying was about cooperatives and recycling of solid waste while business and employment got low satisfaction.Keywords: Gender and Development, EO 273, Internal Revenue Allotment, GAD Programs, projects and activities, International Women’s Day.