The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), together with the Youth, Adult Survivors and Kin in Need (YAKIN), the Art Ventures and Advocacy Network (ART VAN), and the Office of the Vice Mayor of Quezon City, launched the discussion series, “Conversations through Art: Tapping Various Creative Modalities for Intervention, Growth, and Transformation,” on 27 June 2019 at the QCX: Quezon City Experience, Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City.

The first session of the series, Storytelling and Literary Expression in Healing from Sexual Abuse, featured a book reading of “Survivors: Breaking the Silence on Child Sexual Abuse” by Eirliani Abdul Rahman of YAKIN and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation US. Other storytellers were Dr. Conchitina “Chingbee” R. Cruz of the Department of English and Comparative Literature (DECL), College of Arts and Letters (CAL), UP Diliman; Prof. Marie Rose “Yot” H. Morales of the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), UP Diliman; and Prof. Ernyros “Amos” V. Manlangit of the Department of Art Theory, College of Fine Arts (CFA), UP Diliman. A creative intermission was performed by Prof. Sabrina Laya S. Gacad of the Department of Women and Development Studies (DWDS), College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD), UP Diliman.

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.

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 GAD Agenda Work (Seminar-Workshop on Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting) on 17-21 June 2019 at the Institute for Small-Scale Industries (ISSI), UP Diliman. Resource persons were Dr. Excelsa C. Tongson of the UPCWGS and the Department of Family Life and Child Development (FLCD), College of Home Economics (CHE), UP Diliman; Dr. Carolyn I. Sobritchea of the UPCWSFI; and Gichelle A. Cruz of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).

The seminar-workshop aims to capacitate and enhance the skills of the participants in preparing the Gender and Development (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]

As part of its celebration of Pride Month, the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), in collaboration with the UP Babaylan and Babaylanes, Inc., launched the second edition of Anong Pangalan Mo Sa Gabi? on 13 June 2019 at the Vargas Museum, UP Diliman.

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), in partnership with the Pew Research Center, organized Misinformation and Social Media: Views from Emerging Economies on 3 June 2019 at the UPCWGS Conference Room. Dr. Laura Silver, Senior Researcher at the Pew Research Center, shared her insights from a survey she and her team conducted across 11 developing countries in 2018.

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS) conducted a Seminar for the Staff of UP System Administration Offices: Gender Sensitivity and UP Anti-Sexual Harassment Code of 2017 on 7 May 2019 at the College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD), UP Diliman. Resource persons were Dr. Nathalie Lourdes Africa-Verceles of the UPCWGS and the Department of Women and Development Studies, CSWCD; Prof. Excelsa C. Tongson of the UPCWGS and the Department of Family Life and Child Development, College of Home Economics (CHE); and Gina Rose L. Chan of the UPCWGS. The seminar aims to promote and strengthen gender sensitivity among the staff of the different UP System offices.