The NDA through its newly appointed Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System (FPS) reaffirmed its commitment to fostering gender equality and empowerment by spearheading GAD Seminar and Workshop Series from September 19 to 22, 2023 at the Shahani-Acosta Conference Room, National Dairy Farmers Livelihood Center, Diliman, Quezon City. The NDA GAD FPS (Executive Committee, Technical Working Group, and Secretariat) is composed of NDA Central and Regional personnel from different units.

The NDA GAD FPS invited Atty. Judie Rose T. Dimayuga from the GAD Resource Pool of the Philippine Commission on Women. She is a well-regarded facilitator with an extensive experience in GAD and GAD mainstreaming. Her expertise and guidance deepened the knowledge of the participants by providing valuable insights into gender-related issues and empowerment strategies.

Gender sensitivity and gender-related laws and mandates were the highlights of the discussion during the first day of the activity. Succeeding days shed light on a deeper discussion of the different GAD Assessment Tools, including the GAD FPS Functionality Assessment Tools and Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework (GMEF). After each discussion, the session was immediately followed by a workshop wherein participants incorporated the theoretical discussion into the existing policies, programs, and processes of the NDA. Moreover, the outputs of the workshops were used for the preparation of the online submission of the 2024 GAD Plans and Budget. On the next day, a discussion of the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) was also covered to ensure that the programs and projects undertaken by the NDA are gender-responsive. This was then followed by a workshop on HGDG to guarantee that the NDA GAD FPS is equipped to utilize the different GAD tools.

The NDA GAD FPS had a lot of realizations after the 4-day activity. Moving forward, it shall convene again to discuss and apply the necessary adjustments to the policies and programs of the NDA. Further, the NDA GAD FPS pledges to integrate more GAD-related activities into its 2024 agenda. This proactive approach aims to bolster the implementation of GAD initiatives both within the agency and for external clients, fostering an environment of inclusivity, equity, and empowerment.