The UP BS Interior Design Class of 2020 presents to you Project Kalinga: Nurturing Spaces for the Future. The past months, the team behind Project Kalinga dedicated their services to the University of the Philippines’ own Kalinga Day Care Center (KDCC), under the UP Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS). The batch chose KDCC as the beneficiary of this year’s special project, seeing that the age group of the students in here marks the significant development in children as they transition to the educative system. The design considered the value of sensory design and the social aspect in the said age group. Aligning with the vision of KDCC, Batch 2020 strived to achieve gender-fairness in their vision of the space. The designers, with the help of the teachers, revisited what it meant to be a child and how they interact with each other and with a space. It was also considered how the teachers play a vital role in the expansion of the children’s ideas and experiences, making sure that the project was inclusive of their needs to allow them to work their best as well. The spaces covered by the renovation include the Reception Area, the Teacher’s Room, the Recreation Area, the Kitchen, the Storage Room, and the Restroom. An introduction of a designated Breastfeeding Area as well as a Dining area was also provided. All these were made possible not only by the students and professors who work on annually executing the capstone course, ID 179, but also with the help of generous people who continuously support and believe in the cause of the project. Once again, we wish to thank Hulma Manila Fabrication, Inc., Global Visions Events & Marketing, Inc., Saxum Et Sal, Inc., and Kuysen Enterprises, and to all our generous donors and sponsors for their contributions to this project. There are many more ways we can help in nurturing children’s future, and we welcome you to the batch’s way of contributing to this vision through the interior design discipline. Here are the before and after photos!

[By UP BS Interior Design Class of 2020]

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS) joined UP Diliman’s annual Lantern Parade on 13 December 2019 at the Academic Oval, UP Diliman. This year’s theme is “Pumailanlang.”

[With a report from Jasmine T. Cruz]

The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS) and Save the Children Philippines (SCP) launched the Gender Equality Toolkit for Early Childhood Educators and the Review of Women’s Studies Volume XXIX, Number 1 on 12 December 2019 at the Vargas Museum, UP Diliman.

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]

As part of UP Pride 2019, the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), together with the UP Babaylan, the UP Diliman Office of the Chancellor, the UP Diliman Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA), the UP Diliman University Student Council (USC), the UP Diliman Office of Student Activities (OSA), and the UP Diliman Office of Anti-Sexual Harassment (OASH), organized a Pride March on 13 September 2019 at the Academic Oval, UP Diliman. Breaking the Stigma: A Free and Confidential HIV Testing and Counseling at the Palma Hall Parking Lot preceded the event and was followed by Pride Night: PRIDEday the 13th at the Melchor Hall Steps.

With the theme “Embracing Diversity Towards Equality,” UP Pride 2019 aims to push forward the formulation and adoption of a university system-wide policy on equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).

As part of UP Pride 2019, the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), together with the UP Babaylan, the UP Diliman Office of the Chancellor, the UP Diliman Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA), the UP Diliman University Student Council (USC), the UP Diliman Office of Student Activities (OSA), and the UP Diliman Office of Anti-Sexual Harassment (OASH), organized Equality Talks: A Forum on the UP SOGIESC Policy & the SOGIE Equality Bill on 12 September 2019 at the School of Economics Auditorium, UP Diliman. Guest speakers were Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, Dr. Marie Aubrey J. Villaceran of the UPCWGS, and Atty. Claire De Leon of Babaylanes, Inc.

With the theme “Embracing Diversity Towards Equality,” UP Pride 2019 aims to push forward the formulation and adoption of a university system-wide policy on equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).