Department of Migrant Workers has moved forward with a new six-year Gender and Development (GAD) Agenda aimed at strengthening protection and support for overseas Filipino workers and their families.
The agency concluded a three-day workshop on February 7 to finalize its Six-Year GAD Agenda for 2026 to 2031, a roadmap designed to make DMW programs more gender-responsive across all stages of migration. The workshop was held from February 4 to 6 at the Richmonde Hotel in Eastwood, Quezon City.
According to DMW, the agenda aligns with the directive of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to pursue inclusive and people-centered governance. It focuses on ensuring fair and equitable access to protection, services, and opportunities for both women and men migrant workers, from pre-departure to reintegration.
Integrating gender into migration planning
During the workshop, participants worked on client-focused and organizational plans that apply a gender lens to DMW policies and programs. This included analyzing sex-disaggregated data and using the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines to identify priority gender issues within the agency.
Sessions were facilitated by Kimberly Anne Teodoro, an independent GAD resource person from the Philippine Commission on Women. These discussions aimed to help DMW offices translate gender principles into practical, on-the-ground programs that respond to the realities faced by migrant workers and their families.
DMW Director Mary Grace Riguer-Teodosio led a Pledge of Commitment during the activity, reaffirming the department’s adherence to the Magna Carta of Women and its GAD mandate. Officials said the pledge underscores the agency’s responsibility to institutionalize gender-responsive planning and implementation.
Emphasis on inclusion and accountability
Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay highlighted that gender and development policies are not limited to women alone. “GAD is not just about women, it is also about men empowerment and all types of gender,” she said during the discussions.
Assistant Secretary Francis Ron C. De Guzman also took part in the workshop to emphasize the need for consistent and accurate implementation of the GAD agenda across all DMW regional offices. He stressed that plans and commitments made at the national level must translate into concrete action on the ground.
DMW said applying a gender lens to planning and programming helps ensure that migrant workers receive support based on their specific needs and circumstances. The six-year agenda will guide future policies and services aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of all Filipino migrant workers, regardless of gender, throughout their migration journey.