Caloocan sets up body on women’s rights

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri announced yesterday the creation of the Gender Development Council (GDC) to ensure that women’s rights are sufficiently protected and applied to enable the women of the city to participate with more vigor in nation-building.

Echiverri, who sits in the council as honorary chairman, said the body is mandated to formulate plans, programs, policies and guidelines on gender and development and ensure its street implementation.

The GDC, which boasts of an all-male membership except one, is headed by Councilor Nora Nubla with Civil Registrar Lucena Flores as vice chairperson.

Included as members are Secretary to the Mayor Russel Ramirez, City Administrator Romeo Alcantara, City Planning and Development officer-in-charge Rolando Cordero, DILG Director Ruben Ramirez and the lone female member, City Personnel Officer Ligaya Lam.

Echiverri said the creation of the GDC is mandated by RA 7192, or the Women in Nation Building Act.

The measure provides for the integration of women as full and equal partners of men in national development.

To assist the council is a technical working group (TWG) and secretariat formed to formulate policies and guidelines.

The mayor said this will also ensure the strict implementation of existing laws and policies addressing gender and development issues such as, but not limited to, the Philippine Development Plan on Women, RA 7192 and other policies of the national government.

The TWG includes in its job description the preparation of various programs, projects and activities "for appropriate integration in the City Development Plan."

The secretariat is tasked with mainly clerical duties, among them, the setting of meetings of the council, preparing the minutes, receiving and recording all incoming and outgoing communications of the GDC. – With Pete Laude