THE Commission on Audit (COA) cited the City Government of San Fernando for its adequate implementation of gender-responsive programs that helped promote gender equality among Fernandinos.
In its Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) No. 2018-11 released on January 24, 2018, COA noted that the “city was able to adequately plan, budget, implement and monitor gender-responsive programs with the use of the Gender and Development (GAD) Code and Harmonized GAD Guidelines.”
According to the AOM, the city government properly budgeted the five percent GAD fund amounting to P65 million for calendar year 2017 which were downloaded to gender-responsive, rights-based and culture-sensitive projects, programs and activities.
The AOM also cited the city government’s enactment of City Ordinance No. 2015-010 in 2015, otherwise known as “Ordinance enacting the Gender and Development Code of the City of San Fernando” which serves as a guide in the planning, preparation and monitoring of GAD-related programs.
It also lauded the city government’s development of the GAD database dubbed as Gender and Development Management System that will serve as basis for gender-responsive planning, programming and policy-formulation.
Moreover, COA cited in its AOM the city government’s program for women including educational assistance to high school and college students, conduct of livelihood training for 4Ps women-members, PhilHealth enrollment for marginalized women, livelihood projects, social pension for indigent senior citizens, and sponsoring of free pap smear for organized women’s groups, family planning program, anti-cervical cancer vaccination and conduct of relevant training and seminars, among others.
With the effective implementation of the said project, COA urged Mayor Edwin Santiago to require the GAD focal person and technical working group to continue and further improve the said programs and projects aimed at promoting gender equality.
“With sufficient appropriation, presence of the GAD code, and use of evaluating and monitoring tools, the city was able to implement programs and activities which are gender responsive,” the AOM noted.