Thursday, March 13, 2008

DAR-Aklan Gears Up For Gender Affirmative Actions

The Department of Agrarian Reform in Aklan prepared its operational plan to implement the Gender and Development (GAD) program and Women’s Month activities in the province through a two-day planning workshop attended by fifty stakeholders composed of women farmer-leaders, and DAR personnel at Kalibo, Aklan on February 28-29, 2008.

The operational support plan for Gender and Development is an indicator of how the GAD budget is being utilized by the agency to address gender biases and gaps prevailing in the office and most importantly within the agrarian reform communities in the province. The budget amounting to P1.248 M covers program, activities for the agrarian reform beneficiaries worth P542,000, DAR personnel, the strengthening of the implementing mechanisms like the DAR Ladies Association- Samahan ng Kababaihan sa Agraryo, Inc. (DARLA SAKA), the women’s desks, and women’s associations in the communities.

Atty. Daniel Y. Martelino, chairperson of the Provincial Gender and Development Focal Point of DAR-Aklan, emphasized that more than ever, GAD is always given impetus in the agency as manifested by various programs addressing women and the utilization of the GAD Budget. Gender discrimination in promotions and other personnel concerns are never an issue in the agency.

The two-day workshop also featured the induction of officers of the DAR Ladies Association Samahan ng Kababaihan sa Agraryo (DARLA-SAKA) led by its President. Leah T. Oquendo, the Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer of Balete, Aklan. /MP

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