The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received a GADtimpala Bronze Award as Most Outstanding Gender-Responsive Agency from the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).

DSWD Undersecretary Florita R. Villar, the Department’s Gender and Development (GAD) focal person, received the award and the cash prize of P25,000 in behalf of the Department during the awarding ceremony on March 28.

In her acceptance message, Usec. Villar thanked the PCW for recognizing the efforts of the DSWD in empowering and upholding the rights of the women sector.

She added, “DSWD will continue to improve its GAD efforts and hopes that next year, the Department will get the GADtimpala Silver or Gold Award.”

Over the years, DSWD has incorporated gender and development aspects in its core programs namely the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), and Sustainable Livelihood Program.

As part of the program implementation, these core programs formulated their GAD plans to ensure that women-beneficiaries are capacitated and provided with the opportunity to participate in leadership action and in decision-making opportunities within their communities.

Likewise, topics such as gender equality, women empowerment among others, are incorporated into the Family Development Sessions of Pantawid Pamilya.

The GADtimpala Award is given to the most outstanding gender-responsive national government agency in recognition of its outstanding achievement in the effective implementation of gender-responsive programs.

For this year, DSWD and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) were the only two government agencies which received the recognition.

The awarding ceremony is part of the 2014 Women’s Month Celebration with the theme “Juana, ang Tatag mo ay Tatag Natin sa Pagbangon at Pagsulong”. ###