THE Department of Agriculture in the Davao region (DA 11) has allocated 5.1 percent of its total budget for the promotion of gender and development (GAD).
DA 11 Regional Director Remelyn Recoter said out of this year’s P2.6-billion budget of the regional office, 5.1 percent, or P65 million, will fund projects involving woman beneficiaries. These include provision of farm inputs, farm mechanization, postharvest facilities, food processing and other value-adding activities.
“The fund will also support the conduct of training and extension services to rural-based woman organizations, including incentives for our local government agricultural extension workers who are mostly woman technicians,” she said.
In her message during the culmination of DA women’s month celebration in Davao City, Recoter said various development in the region can be attributed to rural women being able partners of their husbands in farm production.
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) in a message delivered by DA 11 GAD focal person Evelyn Basa said that women should occupy 50 percent of the leadership whether in civil-society organizations, academe, bureaucracy or electoral politics.
“Men and women have different life experiences, they think differently and have different perspectives and priorities. Hence, both of them should be in all the different levels of leadership,” the PCW said.
Recoter said the DA is one of the gender-sensitive agencies and have put emphasis on the capability of women to govern and lead.
“At the helm of 16 DA regional field offices, 50 percent are woman regional directors. In the livestock sector, three out of the four DA attached agencies are also being led by women,” she said.
Compared to other countries in Asia and other parts of the world, Recoter said “the women in our country are now given equal opportunities and actively participate in decision-making.”
This year’s DA monthlong women celebration in the region was hosted by the Philippine Rural Development Project-Mindanao support office. The celebration focused on the theme: “Juana, Desisyon Mo ay Mahalaga sa Kinabukasan ng Bawat Isa, Ikaw Na!”
While women’s month celebration is centered on giving women equal rights and opportunities, the PCW also enjoined men to support GAD programs.
“We need more men who can stand for and promote women’s rights,” the PCW said.