MANILA (February 20) – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is shifting the way Gender and Development (GAD) funds are reviewed — moving oversight closer to the ground in a bid to fast-track gender-responsive programs nationwide.
Under Joint Memorandum Circular 2024-01, cities and municipalities will now submit their GAD Plans and Budgets to provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs), and independent component cities (ICCs), which will assume primary review and approval functions. DILG Regional Offices will continue reviewing higher-level LGUs.
The move effectively devolves a key layer of oversight, aligning with the government’s broader push for decentralization and local autonomy.
What This Means for Communities
By law, at least five percent of every LGU’s annual budget must be allocated to GAD programs — funds meant to address gender-based violence, maternal health gaps, women’s economic participation, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and other equity concerns.
For communities, this reform could mean:
- Faster approval of local gender programs
- Projects better tailored to barangay-level realities
- Reduced bureaucratic delays
To prepare LGUs, DILG rolled out a nationwide Training of Trainers program, equipping 269 practitioners from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao with updated tools and standards.
The initiative was supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Social Protection, Inclusion and Gender Equality Program.
LGUs are also now required to use an online Gender and Development Plan and Budget Monitoring System to track fund utilization — a move aimed at improving transparency and data-driven reporting.
The Accountability Question
While decentralization promises efficiency, it also raises a critical issue: will local oversight be strong enough?
GAD funds have long faced scrutiny from audit bodies and gender advocates for being used on activities loosely connected to gender outcomes — such as general trainings or infrastructure projects labeled as “GAD” without solid gender analysis.
Under the new system, the responsibility to scrutinize those plans shifts largely to local reviewers.
That could be a strength — if provinces and cities apply rigorous standards. But it could also create uneven implementation across regions, depending on political will and technical capacity.
Beyond Compliance
The reform aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive that public funds must deliver measurable impact.
For everyday citizens, the real measure of success will not be how quickly plans are approved, but whether they see:
- Stronger protection services for abuse survivors
- Expanded maternal and reproductive health programs
- Livelihood support reaching women in vulnerable sectors
- More inclusive local policies
Gender budgeting is not symbolic — it determines whether resources reach those most affected by inequality.
Watch Points for Residents
Community members and civil society groups can play a role by:
- Asking LGUs how their five percent GAD budget is being spent
- Requesting public access to GAD Plans and Accomplishment Reports
- Monitoring whether projects respond to documented local gender issues
