As part of its Extramural Program, the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), together with the UP Center for Women’s Studies Foundation, Inc. (UPCWSFI), conducted Are We Gender-Responsive Enough? Making the GAD Plan Work for LGU (Seminar-Workshop on Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting for LGU) on 25-28 November 2019 at the Benitez Hall, Alumni Center, UP Diliman. Resource persons were Dr. Excelsa C. Tongson, Deputy Director for Training, Outreach, and Extension of the UPCWGS; Dr. Carolyn I. Sobritchea, former Director of the UPCWGS; and Gichelle A. Cruz, member of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) National Gender and Development (GAD) Resource Pool.

The seminar-workshop aims to capacitate and enhance the skills of the participants from the local government units (LGUs) in preparing the GAD Plan and Budget Report (PB) and the GAD Accomplishment Report (AR) that all government offices are mandated to submit yearly to the PCW, the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). An orientation in crafting the GAD Agenda, which “shall be the basis for the annual formulation of programs, activities and projects (PAPs) to be included in the GPBs of agencies,” was also included.

[With a report from Laniza R. Lacsamana]

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS) organized the fourth session of the discussion series, “Conversations through Art: Tapping Various Creative Modalities for Intervention, Growth, and Transformation,” on 25 November 2019 at the UPCWGS Grounds.

The fourth session of the series, Stillness in Motion: A Meditative Movement Experience, featured movement artist Rina Angela Corpus who led a workshop that is based on the principles of Raja yoga, an open-eyed meditation, and Qigong, an ancient energy exercise with focus on mindfulness and slow, flowing movements.

Conversations through Art is an initiative by artists, advocacy builders, social workers, and those in the helping professions to collectively promote arts for social change. Envisioned as a series wherein various creative modalities are highlighted in each session, the invited resource speakers will be individuals from different parts of the world who are making contributions to the establishment of the expressive arts practice or use specific creative modalities for personal-professional, community, and sectoral development.

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS) organized the third session of the discussion series, “Conversations through Art: Tapping Various Creative Modalities for Intervention, Growth, and Transformation,” on 19 October 2019 at the UPCWGS Computer Lab.

The third session of the series, Self-Discovery through Intuitive Dance Movement, featured dancer and choreographer Ea Torrado who introduced the participants to Daloy Movement, a free-form kind of dance style that taps into the wisdom of the body through the four elements, which she developed. In addition to the dance workshop, Ms. Torrado’s short films on extra-judicial killings were also screened during the event.

Conversations through Art is an initiative by artists, advocacy builders, social workers, and those in the helping professions to collectively promote arts for social change. Envisioned as a series wherein various creative modalities are highlighted in each session, the invited resource speakers will be individuals from different parts of the world who are making contributions to the establishment of the expressive arts practice or use specific creative modalities for personal-professional, community, and sectoral development.

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS) launched the discussion series, “Site of Convergence: Weaving Tapestries of Knowledge,” on 18 October 2019 at the UPCWGS Conference Room.

The first session of the series, Malay Women and Dehijabbing: A Reading and Forum with Maryam Lee, featured a book reading of “Unveiling Choice” by Maryam Lee, wherein Ms. Lee explains her decision to stop wearing the hijab. Other discussants were Judy Ann A. Lubiano and Dr. Nassef M. Adiong of the Institute of Islamic Studies (IIS), UP Diliman and the Decolonial Studies Program (DSP), UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS).

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), together with the UP Center for Women’s Studies Foundation, Inc. (UPCWSFI), conducted a Seminar-Workshop on Gender-Responsive Early Child Care and Development (ECCD) Program on 14-18 October 2019 at the College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD), UP Diliman. Resource persons were Dr. Excelsa C. Tongson of the UPCWGS and the Department of Family Life and Child Development (DFLCD), College of Home Economics (CHE), UP Diliman; Laniza R. Lacsamana of the UPCWGS; Gina Rose L. Chan of the UPCWGS; Prof. Paul Edward N. Muego of the Department of Community Development (DCD), CSWCD, UP Diliman; Prof. Miriam Ugaddan of the DFLCD, CHE, UP Diliman; Prof. Lorena W. Tengco of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (DFSN), CHE, UP Diliman; and Dr. Ferdiliza Dandah S. Garcia.

The seminar-workshop is specifically designed for organizations that have existing day care or child-minding center or have plans to put up one to accommodate the need of the employees for such facility. The target training participants are personnel who are or will be directly involved in the daily operations of their day care/child-minding center. It aims to enhance the capacity of the ECCD practitioners in providing childhood care to children under their supervision by updating their knowledge and skills in ECCD and ensuring that the facility, curriculum, and program is gender-responsive.

[With a report from Fernand Vincent M. Hermoso]