Caraga GADCC sets activities of the 18-Day
Campaign to End Violence Against Women
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 16 (PIA) -- The technical
working group of the Gender and Development Coordinating Committee (GADCC)
Caraga lined-up activities for the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against
Women (VAW), on November 25 to December 12.
The GADCC is under the Regional Development
Council (RDC) chaired by Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Caraga Regional Director
Atty. Marylin Pintor.
Pintor said that every year, the Caraga GADCC
spearheads the 18-day campaign to end VAW.
It is an international campaign originating from
the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for
Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University in 1991.
“The observance will start on November 25, in
time with the International Day against Violence against Women, and will
culminate on December 10 which is the International Human Rights Day,” said
Pintor.
Pintor also recalled that the Philippines has
joined the international community in the observance of the 16-Day Campaign
Against Violence Against Women, from November 25 to December 10 to emphasize
that violence against women is a human rights violation, and thereby, to raise
awareness on gender-based violence as a human rights violation, and to ensure
better protection for survivors/ victims of violence.
In 2006, the Philippine government expanded it
by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 1172 to include up to December 12, which
marks the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Transnational
Crime, thus making it an 18-Day Campaign.
Pintor added the event will kick-off with a “Fun
Walk” activity at 5:30 p.m. from Guingona Park going to the Philippine Ports
Authority grounds.
A short program will follow after which will be
highlighted by the floating of flowers with candles while a thanksgiving prayer
will be delivered by the GADCC secretariat.
On December 1, the Department of Health (DOH)
Caraga will spearhead the World AIDS Day with a short program.
Meanwhile, the culmination activities for the
18-day campaign will be divided into two parts.
The morning activity is the forum dubbed
"Women Empowerment in Health and Development on Gender Equality" on
Dec. 12 at the Luciana Convention Center, Butuan City. This will be
participated by the GADCC and Men Oppose to Violence Everywhere (MOVE) members.
Also, a press conference is scheduled on
November 23, 2012 at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Caraga
Regional Function Hall, this city.
With this development, GADCC encouraged the
general public to support this campaign and promote gender equality. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Senate body approves MinDA P85-M budget
MANILA, Sept. 16 (PIA) -- Seeing the need for
greater inter-regional collaboration in Mindanao, the Senate finance committee
has approved recently and will submit for plenary deliberations the proposed
2013 budget of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
Senator Franklin M. Drilon, chair of the
committee on finance cited the crucial role of MinDA being the primary planning
institution of Mindanao and as the integrator of regional programs and
projects.
“We have far too long seen Mindanao perennially
lagging behind the rest of the country in terms of development, it’s time we
see greater integration of efforts to push for its progress and
transformation,” said Drilon.
With a mandate to push for strong participation
of all sectors to achieve accelerated socio-economic development for the
island, MinDA, he said, carries the Mindanao perspective and brings it to
national attention.
In its proposed budget for 2013, MinDA is
seeking approval of P85 million mainly for integrated planning, policy advocacy
and program development services. The office is currently operating on a P60
million budget under FY 2012.
For next year, its allocation will also deal
substantially with the setting up of area management offices in clustered
regions and subsequent completion of its reorganization and staffing program so
it can adequately respond to both Mindanao-wide and inter-regional coordination
activities.
“Under its strengthened mandate, MinDA endeavors
to face up to the challenge of seeing to it that efforts are exerted to address
the imperatives for Mindanao’s development,” said MinDA chair Luwalhati
Antonino in a statement.
Antonino added that MinDA’s work is anchored on
integration of Mindanao’s agenda and effectively articulating these to national
government priorities.
“We look beyond regional concerns as we
integrate and harmonize efforts at a Mindanao-wide perspective,” she stressed.
Created under R.A. 9996, MinDA became a
permanent agency in 2010 with mandate to address the need for a coordinated and
integrated approach in the formulation and implementation of various
Mindanao-wide and inter-regional development plans, programs and projects.
The law strengthened the former Mindanao
Economic Development Council (MEDCo), which was created by virtue of an
executive order issued in 1992 by then President Corazon Aquino.
MinDA also serves as the permanent Philippine
Coordinating Office that works to strengthen the participation of Philippines
focus areas (Mindanao and Palawan) in the Brunei
Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area
(BIMP-EAGA) sub-regional cooperation.
Among the major initiatives currently being
pursued by MinDA include the Mindanao Nurturing Our Waters (MindaNOW) Program,
Investment Facilitation, Support for ARMM Reform Agenda, Mindanao Power
Development, Mindanao Research and Policy Agenda, and Mindanao Peace and
Development Security cooperation. (MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
