Alvarez cited by women workers

The women-employees at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) thanked yesterday recently resigned Secretary Heherson Alvarez Jr. for upholding gender equality during his tenure at the agency.

The DENR’s Gender and Development (GAD) Point System, in a one-page resolution and statement, expressed their "warm appreciation and thanks for the less than two years of leadership of Alvarez, who issued administrative orders that removed gender discrimination and protected the rights of women in the Department and in the public."

The GAD consists of thousands of women in the 25,000-strong DENR workforce.

"Secretary Alvarez showed his sensitivity towards women and his conviction as a human rights activist, which we did not see in the previous DENR leadership. Despite his short term, for us women in public service, it was a worthy and proud stint," said GAD chair and DENR head Executive Assistant Ann Christine Rojo.

Rojo pointed out that among the "historic" policies that Alvarez issued was Department Administrative Order (DAO) 13, which removes gender bias in the acceptance and processing of homestead patent applications and other public land applications.

Previously, married women were required to secure first an authorization from their spouses before they were allowed to apply for homestead patent and other applications on public land.

"Secretary Alvarez had the vision and open-mindedness to change the old, biased system and declared that equal rights and opportunity be given to women, regardless of their civil status, in the filing, acceptance, processing and approval of public land application," Rojo said.

The GAD, likewise, acknowledged other gender equality policies of Alvarez, that include DAO 25, or the anti-sexual harassment order that protected female DENR workers from physical or verbal sexual advances by any other government officials or co-employees and the memorandum that provides GAD representation in DENR’s Employees Promotion and Selection Board, giving women a voice in choosing personnel or official deserving promotion or for new employment.

They also cited the revival of the GAD Service Awards that highlights the recognition of the "Most Gender Responsive Project" and "Most Gender Sensitive Woman Project Implementor" in the Department; and other reopening of the DENR Day-Care Center in the Central Office located in Visayas Ave., Quezon City or working mother in the agency. — Katherine Adraneda