COTABATO CITY, BARMM (November 25, 2025) – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has made significant strides in its commitment to institutionalizing gender-responsive governance.
Seventy-Six (76) local government officials and staff from the eight municipalities of the Special Geographic Areas (SGA) and the Special Geographic Areas Development Authority (SGADA) recently completed a comprehensive four-day training that uniquely combined Islamic faith-based principles with national gender and development mainstreaming policy. The Gender Sensitivity Training and GFPS-TWG Orientation took place in Davao City from November 18 to 21, 2025. The participants found the training essential for equipping them to become champions of gender mainstreaming in the region’s newest municipalities.\
The newly formed Gender and Development Focal Point Systems Technical Working Group (GFPS-TWG) in the eight SGA local government units requires specialized knowledge in implementing the Gender and Development (GAD) mainstreaming mandate. This mandate is institutionalized by Republic Act 9710, known as the Magna Carta of Women, as well as other relevant government policies.
“This is a major step toward fostering an inclusive culture in BARMM,” stated Mr. Hanzel Luke De Vera, UNFPA Social Norm Change Analyst. “By directly addressing the knowledge gap, we are empowering local governance to be truly responsive to the diverse needs of all Bangsamoro constituents.”
The initiative is a collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), and the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), as part of the BABAE Project, Outcome 3. This event was made possible through the generous support of the Embassy of Japan.
The program’s most distinctive feature was the purposeful inclusion of religious perspectives to ensure deep cultural relevance within the BARMM community. Religious guidance advisers led dedicated sessions, with Ustadza Anisa T. Arab discussing “Family in Islam and Responsible Parenthood,” and Ustadza Jihan Batiting addressing the principles of “Women’s Rights in Islam and Polygyny.”
This faith-based approach was complemented by core Gender and Development (GAD) concepts presented by GAD Specialist II from the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), Ms. Samsiya P. Abdula. She covered essential GAD topics, including sex and gender, gender roles, manifestations of gender biases, processes of sensitivity and socialization, agents of gender socialization, gender issues that affect men, the historical context of gender development, and key milestones.
The final day focused on building practical operational capacity. Ms. Marline P. Pasil, the MILG Regional GAD Focal Person, provided essential orientation on the roles, functions, and mechanisms of the Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS) for GAD planning and budgeting.
The Seventy-Six (76) participants in the training included Development Management Officers (DMOs) from the Special Geographic Area Development Authority (SGADA) and members of the Gender and Development Focal Point System Technical Working Group (GFPS-TWG) from the eight municipalities of SGA. This group comprised the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator, Budget Officer, GAD Focal Point, Municipal Health Officer, Municipal Social Welfare Development Officer, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer, and other members appointed by their respective Local Chief Executive Officers through an Executive
Order (EO). GFPS-TWG members are now responsible for applying their improved understanding of gender and development (GAD) into their respective development plans by creating specific budget allocations and policy actions to address and implement sexual reproductive and health rights (SRHR) and gender-based violence (GBV) programs that respond to both humanitarian and development needs.
The successful completion of this training highlights the commitment of the BARMM government and its partners to establish resilient, equitable, and culturally grounded institutions in the Special Geographic Area (SGA).
Written by: Monawara M. Kumayog
BABAE Project Officer
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