Sec Pangandaman urges mainstreaming women’s issues in budget

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman emphasized the need to mainstream women's issues in national budget planning during a press conference following the International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security in Pasay City.

Pangandaman urged government agencies to prioritize women and gender development initiatives by ensuring that all proposed budgets aim for women's empowerment rather than just allocating a minimum percentage.

She reported that 16.68% of the national budget in 2023 was allocated for Gender and Development (GAD), exceeding the mandated 5% allocation, with programs like Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and People’s Survival Fund supporting women's empowerment.

Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla highlighted challenges in submitting accomplishment reports for GAD budget implementation and called for annual performance reports to ensure proper utilization of funds.

Valdeavilla also introduced results-based budgeting to measure the impact of programs and projects on women's lives, aiming to strengthen the implementation of gender equality initiatives.