(As released) MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit was awarded the two highest Gender and Development Transformation & Institutionalization through Mainstreaming of Programs, Agenda, Linkages & Advocacies (GADtimpala) 2023 Awards conferred by the Philippine Commission on Women in the awards ceremony held at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura, Taguig City on Monday.
COA was honored with the GADtimpala Gold for Outstanding Gender Responsive Agency in recognition of its outstanding performance in gender mainstreaming and the effective implementation of gender-responsive programs, as well as the GADtimpala Gold for exemplary GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) highlighting the dedication and commitment of COA GFPS in promoting gender equality and women empowerment in the organization and the sector.
The GADtimpala award recognizes deserving entities, government agencies and local government units for their outstanding performance in gender mainstreaming and the effective implementation of gender-responsive programs that have visible impacts in upholding women’s rights, achieving gender equality and empowerment and transforming women’s and men’s lives.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos gave congratulatory video messages to the awardees.
President Marcos noted that the awardees’ initiatives and the efficiency of their implementation demonstrate the typical ingenuity, sincerity and integrity that Filipinos can and should expect from government.
“As your efforts for the progress of our society are honored, I also welcome the inspiration and challenge that this would bring to public servants all across our country. I hope that what you have shown and continue to show will inspire us all in our unending efforts for the empowerment of our people no matter their gender. Let the success of our colleagues be a reminder of our power to continue making our nation more inclusive for the present and succeeding generations,” President Marcos said.
For her part, the First Lady stressed the importance of the continued commitment to protecting the rights of Filipino women through government gender mainstreaming initiatives.
“I would also like to congratulate this year’s GADtimpala awardees for championing the work-place gender equality and women empowerment. Thank you for all your hard work and again congratulations to all of you. Sama-sama tayong babangon muli para sa bagong Pilipinas,” she said.
COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba, Commissioner Roland Café Pondoc and Assistant Commissioner Fortunata Rubico, Chair of the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the COA GFPS, led the COA contingent in accepting the awards.
“These two prestigious GADtimpala Awards represent the hard work and commitment of everyone in the Commission to successfully mainstream Gender and Development into COA's mandate and be a role model agency in gender mainstreaming. It is the result of more than two decades of conscious GAD advocacy in the Commission in the early 2000 when the PCW was still the National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women. In fact, COA has issued Memorandum No. 2009-020 providing for Guidelines in the Conduct of the Audit of GAD Funds and Activities in Government Agencies three months before the Magna Carta of Women was signed into law on August 14, 2009,” Cordoba said.
The COA executive acknowledged past and present assistant Commissioners, Directors and personnel of the Commission who have “diligently worked to implement various programs, activities and projects to promote GAD with the full support of every member of the Commission Proper” and gave special mention to former COA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo, former TWG COA GFPS Chairperson Assistant Commissioner Lourdes M. Castillo, Assistant Commissioner Rubico, all the Committee Chairpersons and Members, and Secretariat of the COA GFPS “for their never-ending dedication, as well as for their pioneering ideas that inspired the Commission to fully embrace GAD.”
Chairperson Cordoba also recognized all the awardees, noting that membership in the GFPS is not a full-time position with members allocating specific percentage of their time for ad-hoc assignments which shows all the awardees’ commitment and drive to advocate for gender equality and women empowerment.
While COA was the lone gold awardee, the PCW also honored 17 other government agencies with the Silver and Bronze Awards. The other awardees were the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Privatization and Management Office, Philippine Army, Department of National Defense, Department of Public Works and Highways, Government Service Insurance System, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, Commission on Elections, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Department of Science and Technology, National Housing Authority, and Social Housing Finance Corporation.
The awarding ceremony was held on the anniversary of the Magna Carta of Women (MCW). PCW Executive Director and Officer-in-Charge Kristine Rosary Yuzon-Chaves said the MCW was a huge triumph for the Philippines but the challenge is its full and effective implementation. She listed notable advancements towards gender mainstreaming such as the gender gap in education nearly bridged and the civil service sector meeting the 50-50 quota in second-level positions.
The ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the PCW and SM Supermalls was also held during the event.