NAMRIA continues to find ways to improve its gender mainstreaming (GM) performance. In this regard, to date, the agency has made it through the validation conducted by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW). The NAMRIA Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System (NGFPS) participated in the validation for the agency.

 

In May 2022, NAMRIA received a copy from PCW of the approved 2019-2021 Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework (GMEF) Validation Report. There was also a transmittal letter from the PCW, through Executive Director, Atty. Kristine Rosary E. Yuzon-Chaves, addressed to NAMRIA Administrator, Usec. Peter N. Tiangco, PhD. In the said letter was mentioned the high appreciation of the PCW of the efforts and initiatives of the agency to respond to the gender issues of its clientele and to address its commitments under the national and international mandates on GAD.

 

The PCW likewise specifically cited the improvement of NAMRIA's GM performance from 2019 to 2021. The mentioned bases of the PCW for the validation result were the agency's submitted documents that served as means of verification for the PCW's objective review/rating. The PCW gave as a highlight of the validation (1) NAMRIA’s slowly establishing in 2019 its GAD efforts. The agency's overall GMEF score was said to have increased by +37.01 points from 25.8 at Level 1 Foundation Formation in 2019 to 62.87 in 2021 at Level 3 GAD Application. Another (2) was the agency's improvement in two entry points, namely; the Policy entry point and the People entry point. The increase was said to be due to (1) the number of issued policies articulating support to GAD mandates; and (2) the reconstitution of the agency's GFPS which led to strong support to implement GAD efforts in the agency. The PCW cited there being 19 out of 30 members or 63% of the GFPS holding strategic positions "including some coming from the top management."

 

The PCW also gave its recommendation to help NAMRIA improve its score. The PCW said that the agency should integrate GAD perspectives in its organizational plans. This, according to the PCW, would help the agency determine if its GAD efforts resulted in bridging gender gaps of its internal and external clients. To date, the NGFPS has been conducting review and planning seminars toward this end.

 

Asked for a comment, Resource Data Analysis Branch Director and NAMRIA GFPS Focal Person Ofelia T. Castro said that "the NGFPS would not be successful in its efforts and initiatives without the support of NAMRIA’s top management led by Administrator Tiangco."