Davao City, Philippines — Key stakeholders from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) successfully held the BABAE Project Outcome 3: Stakeholders Planning Workshop for 2026-2027, taking place from October 12 to 14, 2025, in Davao City.
The workshop, hosted by the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Inc. (CBCS) in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), successfully achieved its goal of harmonizing efforts and building consensus for the next phase of work. This initiative is essential for advancing the protection and empowerment of women in Maguindanao del Sur and the Special Geographic Area (SGA).
The BABAE Project (Babaeng Bangsamoro Arketikto at Ehemplo para sa Pagbabago) is a vital initiative aimed at improving women’s health, enhancing sexual and reproductive health services, and strengthening the prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV).
The three-day workshop took place at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Lanang, bringing together representatives from various key ministries and agencies in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Participants included the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG), the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), the Special Geographic Area Development Authority (SGADA), the Provincial Government of Maguindanao del Sur, and ten Local Government Units (LGUs) from Special Geographic Area (SGA) and Maguindanao del Sur.
The primary goal of the gathering was successfully achieved: to ensure that the project’s Gender and Development (GAD) interventions for 2026–2027 were fully aligned with the plans of the partners involved. This alignment focused on mainstreaming the GAD mandate as institutionalized by Republic Act 9710, known as the Magna Carta of Women, as well as other relevant government policies.
, :
- Stakeholders have agreed on a comprehensive, tiered training program for gender mainstreaming. This program will target the Gender and Development Focal Point System – Technical Working Group (GFPS-TWG) members in eight municipalities of SGA and two municipalities in Maguindanao del Sur.
- The group successfully coordinated key activities, timelines, responsible agencies, and funding sourcesfor activities from October 2025 to March 2026.
- Additionally, clear coordination and communication mechanismswere established among all stakeholders to ensure sustained and effective collaboration moving forward.
The workshop’s agenda included presentations from UNFPA and CBCS, highlighting the finalized BABAE Approved Work Plan. A significant portion of the first day, October 13, was dedicated to partners sharing their Gender and Development (GAD) initiatives for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026, promoting transparency and mutual understanding. This was followed by Workshop 1, which established a comprehensive ladderized training program for the GAD Focal Point System Technical Working Group (GFPS-TWG) and facilitated a plenary discussion on the planning process for the formulation of the GAD Plan for the ten target Local Government Units (LGUs). The day concluded with a review of the governance structure for the BABAE Project coordination mechanisms, led by Mr. Hanzel Luke De Vera, UNFPA Social Norm Change Analyst.
On the second day, October 14, there was a discussion on the Gender Focal Point System Functionality Assessment Tool (GFAsT), led by Ms. Merlin Pasil, MILG Regional GAD Focal Person and Assistant Division Chief for Local Government Development Division (LGDD). This was followed by a presentation of the workshop planning results, facilitated by Ms. Jeannette Actub, CBCS BABAE Project Manager. The partners have identified training support for the members of the GFPS-TWG from October 2025 to March 2026 leading to the formulation of GAD Plan and Budget. The event concluded with impactful reflections from stakeholders, conveying a strong commitment to the project’s goals, along with a closing message from Ms. Wilhemina Aquino, CBCS Program Manager.
The successful conclusion of this planning workshop fostered cooperation and built trust among all participating partners. It effectively positioned the BABAE Project’s Outcome 3 work plan for October 2025 to March 2026 for synchronized implementation, which will significantly advance development goals for both Maguindanao del Sur and the Special Geographic Area.
Written by: Monawara M. Kumayog BABAE Project Officer
Recent Comments