How Much Really Goes To Women? A Case Study On The GAD Budget in Angeles City

How Much Really Goes to Women?
A Case Study on the GAD Budget

in Angeles City
AMAR T. TORRES
College of Social Work and Community Development
University of the Philip pines-Diliman
SUSAN T. PINEDA
MADONNA CARLOS
lng Makababaying Aksyon Foundation, Inc.
INTRODUCTION
This case study focuses on the budget process of the Angeles City government
and how the gender and development (GAD) budget is being utilized. It also looks
at the remaining, bigger chunk of the budget and how it affects the lives of women.
It further discusses the legislative advocacy of the Angeles City Women's Coordinating
Council (ACwCC) as spearheaded by Ing MakababayingAksyon (IMA) Foundation.
The specific objectives of the study are as follows:
• to describe the history of the institutionalization of the GAD budget and
ordinance in Angeles City;
• to describe and understand the processes followed in preparing the city
budget for Angeles City;
• to examine the gender perspectives of stakeholders in the formulation
and implementation of the GAD agenda; and
• to analyze allocations and expenditures in Angeles City in terms of GAD
and women's concerns.
This paper tackles the following:

• methodology and background in terms of legislation, policy, and de-
velopments in local government;
• description of Angeles City and its economy;
• background to the passing of the city's GAD ordinance and comparison
of the original and amended versions;
• roles and perspectives of key players in enacting and implementing the
ordinance;
• process of how the GAD budget was sourced, allocated, and spent in
recent years, with a description of experiences of four barangays with
49
50 • GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? . SI
GAD budgeting; for action in comprehensively addressing women's concerns. Other important
• the 95% Of the budget, the part that is not specifically allocated for GAD; steps included the passage of the Women in Nation-Building Act or Republic Act
• the views of different stakeholders of the impact of the GAD ordinance (RA) 7192 which "promotes the integration of women as full and equal partners
and budget; and of men in development and nation-building"; the passage of the new Family.
insights and recommendations on gender mainstreaming. Code; and incorporation in the Philippine Medium-Term Development Plan of
policy statements on GAD.
Methodology RA 7192, in particular, provides that a portion of funds received through the
official development assistance (ODA) be set aside by government agencies to
The research design and instruments were prepared by research consultants
support activities for women. The implementing rules stated that in 1993, at least
and discussed in a meeting with representatives of IMA Foundation. Local
5% of these funds should be allocated in "support of programs/projects that
government executives such as the city mayor, heads of line agencies, and
mainstream/include gender concerns in development". It stated further that the
representatives of committees of the city council were chosen as key informants
percentage should increase from 5% to 10-30% in subsequent years. The act also
on the basis of their positions and key roles in the city budget process They were
enjoined all departments to ensure that Filipino women benefit equally and
asked to articulate their gender perspectives; describe the line items of the budget;
participate directly in their programs and projects. To ensure implementation,
explain the processes followed in preparing the budget for Angeles City, the basis
RA 7192 further directed the bureaucracy to "review and revise all their
for allocation and expenditure; and identify the city's revenues so as to make.
regulations, circulars, issuances and procedures to remove gender bias therein'
recommendations on how best to address GAD concerns through the city's budget.
A focus group discussion was conducted with the core nongovernmental
organization (NGO) members of the ACWCC. The discussion provided information NGOs and local governance
on the history of the institutionalization of the GAD budget and ordinance. Local governments, because of their proximity to communities, are often
Participants were asked about their specific roles in the coalition in advocating seen as an effective avenue to undertake interventions for the people in general.
the women's agenda and others as well as about their gender perspectives.
But it is the NGOs, which are community-based, that provide direct linkage with
Case studies on the GAD budget were conducted in four selected barangays the grassroots. Thus, within the context of addressing issues of equity for the
to examine how the city GAD budget was being appropriated and spent at the disadvantaged and increasing direct participation in governance, the role of NGOs
barangay level. is very important The Local Government Code itself has institutionalized NGO
participation in government. -
Legislative and policy background NGO5 are involved in practically all spheres of activities: political, economic,
and sociocultural. Social development NGO5 are often supportive or advocates of
The government's commitment to uplift women in the Philippines began to
women's agenda. Over the last two decades, NGO5 have been seen as agents of
be felt in the mid-1970s in response to the United Nations Declaration of development from below. Their strengths are their small size, responsiveness to
International Women's Year (1975) and the First Decade for Women (1976-1985). the community, efficient operation, and innovativeness The nature of NGOs' work
Significant developments for the advancement of women have included the has instilled in them a sense of commitment. They continuously acquire
adoption by the national government of the Philippine Development Plan for knowledge of the conditions and cultures of the poor.
Women (1987-1992) and its successor, the Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive
Partnership between local governments and NGOS can have synergistic
Development (1995-2025). The latter continues to serve as governments, blueprint
52 • GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE
HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? . 53
impact on local development with great benefits for both women and men in the
root crops by lowland farmers and Aetas, an indigenous group found in Luzon.
community. Unfortunately, full realization of the success of suh relationships
has remained elusive. Further, when it comes to integrating gender in local The American-run military facility impeded the development of a self-reliant
local economy and thus also of women. To survive the limited productive
policies, decisions are still heavily influenced by the gendered attitudes of
opportunities in the urban setting, many women were forced to sell their bodies,
policymakers. A common perception remains that NGO5 and governments are
engage in illegal trading, or suffer from low wages. The twin tragedy of the
mutually exclusive in their approach to issues and the means to address them.
eruption and the pullout of the Americans debilitated Angeles City and its
Thus, for NGOs to have effected the passage of a GAD ordinance at the local
residents.
level, as the ACWCC did in 1998, is no mean feat. Led by City Councilor Susan
Pineda - founder and executive director of IMA, a regional feminist institution
based in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines - 16 NGO5 and peoples' Population size and growth
organizations (POs) joined hands with local government agencies and
The total population of Angeles City as of latest census conducted by the
organizations to formulate the Angeles City Women's Agenda. They then pushed
National Statistics Office in May 1, 2000 is 263,971. Household population is
for a local GAD ordinance as a mechanism to implement this agenda.
263,360 with 55,769 total numbers of households and with an average household
size of 4.72. Labor force is pegged at 94,000 with 84,000 employed and 10,000
THEN AND NOW: unemployed.
GLIMPSES OF ANGELES AS A CITY In 1995,AngelesCity had a young population in that more than one-third of
the population was under 15 years of age. However, there was an unusually large
Angeles City, first a town of Pampanga and then chartered as a city in January
1964 by virtue of RA 3700, mainly evolved from the needs of the former Clark Air proportion in the age group 15-19 years old. This could be attributed to the in-
migration of teenagers, mostly females, primarily for work. The dependency ratio
Base and some 9,000 troops of the 13th United States (us) Air Force stationed
there. was 62%, i.e., for every 100 persons in the working group (15-64 years old), there
were 62 dependents (57 persons under 15 years of age and 5 persons, 65 years
At the time of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991 and the pullout of old and over). The number of males and females was more or less equal. Average,
American troops following the rejection of the extension of the Philippine-us daily wages for agriculture, retail, and service sectors were between P100 and
1947 Military Bases Agreement in September 1991, the service sector comprised P133.
the bulk of employedpersons. This included some 18,000 prostituted women
and some 5,000 others in the restaurant and hotel business. The service sector
also included nearly 35,000 direct and indirect hire base workers, half of whom Employment and economy
were women employed as office and maintenance workers and domestic helpers. In the mid- 1990s, some 82% of the 173,000 labor force of Angeles City earned
The limited manufacturing sector was also attuned to the needs of the Americans their, income as workers in service establishments, 15% was employed in
for furniture, handicrafts, and souvenir items. A thriving post'-exchange (Px) manufacturing, while 2% was engaged in agriculture. One-third of service
industry - the buying and selling of imported products smuggled out of the establishment workers in the city were in the retail or wholesale trade. The
base - was likewise largely made up of women who made fortunes striking proportion of those who worked for private business or farms was higher among
deals with dependents of American service people. The agricultural sector men (62%) than among women (47%). Conversely, the proportion of those who
accounted for less than 2,000 hectares, mostly planted to sugarcane, rice, and worked for private households (domestic services) was higher for women than
54 • GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? . 55
for men (14% against 4%). Likewise, the proportion of women (24%) who were As of December 1999, there were 4,778 registered entertainment workers,
self-employed was higher than that of men (2 1%). of whom only 1,098 went to the social hygiene clinic for a weekly pap smear. In
Among the 150,982 persons 15 years old and over, only 14% had trade skills. 1998, there were only 2,623 entertainers. The increase in the number of women
Some 72% of those with skills were men. The proportion that acquired trade entertainers might have been in anticipation of the deployment of US militar.y
skills through experience or apprenticeship was higher among men (67%) than personnel after the approval of the Visiting Forces Agreement in 1998. Sex tourism
among women (44%). In contrast, the proportion that acquired trade skills ads on the Internet aggravate the prostitution and trafficking of women in the
through schooling was higher among women than among men (42% against city, many of whom are migrants from the Visayas and other far-flung provinces
24%). in the country.
North of the city lies the Clark Special Economic Zone (csEz) which is
composed of theformer Clark Air Base Military Installation and other adjacent Civil society presence
areas included in the 1947 military bases agreement. After the creation of the
Civil society participation in the metropolis has always been evident,
CSEZ in 1993, some 180 industrial, commercial, tourism, and aviation-related
particularly since the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. NGOs have been at the helm of
projects were approved by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC). As of
many rehabilitation efforts. Sociocivic organizations, including women's groups,
February 2000, some 22,303 workers were employed inside the zone, with the
launched their own initiatives to help disaster victims through food for work
highest percentage (35%) coming from Angeles City.
programs, relief distribution, medical missions, search and rescue teams with
CDC figures as of December 1999 revealed that garments accounted for the
their own communication groups, and livelihood and microcredit programs.
highest percentage (57%) of employment, followed by electronics (28%), general
Today there are at least 172 accredited civic and development organizations
manufacturing (11%), and furniture (4%). About 67% of the workers in the two
in the metropolis engaged in various concerns, such as women (capability-
largest sectors were women. Women also outnumbered men in commercial
building, organizing, microenterprise), differently abled, urban poor, health,
projects. Only 47% of all CSEZ workers were regular employees while 31% were
cooperatives, street children, and other humanitarian and charitable work. There
contractual and 22% were on probation. Around 74% occupied rank and file
are twice as many organizations that are not accredited.
positions; 7%, supervisory; and 3%, managers.
Despite the employment provided by the CSEZ, for the period 1991-1997, the
Overseas Workers'Welfare Administration recorded 13,035 overseas Filipino Women's voices
workers (OFw) from the city, the highest in the whole province. The number of
The attempt by women's groups to mainstream the women's agenda,
women OFW5 (4,871) from Angeles was also the highest in the region.
particularly that of women in prostitution, Amerasian children, and urban women
The central business district is composed of two urban barangays, Sto. workers, was evident in the strong lobbying for a base conversion process attuned
Rosario and San Nicolas. These have 65% of the more than 9,000 business to these groups' needs and potentials. However, the conversion process undertaken
establishments and a combined population of 7,637. during the administration of Pres. Fidel Ramos failed to integrate prostituted
The city specializes in the production of woodcraft, furniture and fixtures, textile women and Amerasian children. Former base workers, including women, were
and garments, leather and footware. However, despite the pullout of the US military again relegated to maintenance work as their skills did not match the labor
base, the city has not weaned itself from its "sin city" image. Prior to the eruption of requirement of garments and electronics firms in what is now the CSEZ.
Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, there were 160 bars. In 1996, there were 170. The women's movement in the city had long been involved in the anti-

dictatorship and anti-imperialist struggle. But the post-eruption and post-pullout organizations, ACCWAC lacked support and funding. Despite its limitations, KKKA
years saw it also tackling the difficult challenges of community rehabilitation urged ACCWAC to implement the program to promote the welfare of women and
and base conversion - or the rebuilding process. At the national level, the 1990s to push the women's agenda further. In particular, it prompted ACCWAC to develop
opened up new challenges for women in local governance and in community a comprehensive women's development program.
development programs. In the city, these translated into the assumption of office Building on preparatory work by a core group established as early as 1995,
by progressive politicians; women engaging in politics; more funds being made the women's month preparatory committee sought to give the observance of
available for housing, land distribution, and livelihood for Mt. Pinatubo refugees women's month its due significance, true to its historical roots, and the vision of
and he general population; and social services and skills training. the women's movement here and abroad. The committee designed the month as
Violence against women is reported daily in print and broadcast media. a period for surfacing the subjugation and exploitation of women within the
Statistics of the crisis intervention unit of IMA show the steady increase in context of political, economic, and social dynamics of society.
numbers of various forms of violence which include wife battering, rape, incest, The year 1996 saw the formation of IMA Foundation. IMA strengthened the
failure to provide child support, and sexual harassment. The number of incest above center until it led the formation of ACWCC. IMA positioned itself at the core
cases has increased substantially compared to rape. These cases persisted in of the Women's Development and Resource Center (wDRc). This center raised
Angeles City despite the presence of an economic zone in its locality and its being funds mainly from national legislators, but should have also received a regular
a highly urbanized city with a relatively large tax base. P2 million annual subsidy from the citylocal government channeled through
IMA which was never materialized. IMA focused on organizing and supporting
IMA and ACWCC the organizational development of KKKA through education and training. Further,
while the basis of a women's movement in the city was firmly in place through
Against this grim reality of development failure, women who bore the pain KKKA, IMA also launched small, community-based livelihood enterprises and
and burden of exploitation, oppression, and subordination challenged the forces began developing its other programs on crisis intervention, research, information,
that nail them to the backroom of development. Grassroots and professional advocacy, and linkages. In addition, it held "how to run and win" seminars for
women came together as pioneers in advancing women's rights and well-being women candidates for barangay posts. As a result, 50% of the women trained
in the city. were elected as barangay officials. IMA's executive director, Susan Pineda, was
In the aftermath of Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in June 1991, organizations were elected as the lone woman city councilor in 1995.
formed or mobilized as the citizens' response to the disaster. One such people's
organization was the Kapisanan para sa Kagalingan ng Kababaihan sa Angeles
WOMEN'S AGENDA
(KKKA), a grassroots organization formed to respond to the needs of women in
the city. The ACWCC saw the need to draw up a comprehensive plan for mainstreaming
In 1993, during the term of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, KKKA, together with women in the development activities undertaken by the city, given that they
other women's formations, successfully lobbied for the creation of the Angeles account for half of the population. The aim of the plan was to come up with
City Center for Women's Affairs and Concerns (AccwAc) under the city mayor's strategies to address the plight of women, through their active participation, and
office. This was achieved through Executive Order 17, series of 1994. Over time, integrate these strategies in the programs and policies of the local government.
however, ACCWAC proved to be an insufficient mechanism. While it showed the Thus, a series of Women's Summits were held in 1997 and 1998. In March
potential of the city government to respond and work with women's grassroots 1997, ACWCC gathered a diverse group of participants to delve into the issue of
prostitution of women and children in Angeles City. The gathering forged a

governments should use a minimum of 5% of their internal revenue allotment
common understanding on the situation and issues of women in the city and an
(IRA) for gender-related projects. However, the city's GAD ordinance moved beyond
agreement on the interventions necessary to alleviate the plight of prostituted
the joint memorandum, in that it stated that the GAD fund should be 5% of the
women in particular and women in general.
general fund rather than only the IRA allocation.
The Women's Summit I, held on 10 March 1997, marked the framing of the
The GAD ordinance of 1998, which pioneered local GAD legislation in the
Women's Agenda. This agenda would serve as the blueprint for the joint advocacy
country, was passed by the city council shortly before the elections. Mayor
work and interventions of the government and NGO5 working on women and
Pamintuan, during whose term the' ordinance was promulgated, opted to run
children's concerns towards the implementation of a development program that
for Congress but lost. The leadership of Angeles City meanwhile was passed on
is truly representative of their interests and sentiments.
to Carmelo Lazatin.
This was followed by the Women's Summit II held on 24 March 1997. This
The new mayor, while a former congressional representative, had provided
saw the actual drafting of the Angeles City Women's Agenda, the basis for drawing
a portion of his countrywide development fund for the construction of WDRC.
up the comprehensive women's development program for the city. The following
However, upon his assumption as mayor, the city government immediately
year, the Women's Summit III highlighted the significant events that had
terminated the subsidy for WIIIRC. Mayor Lazatin's administration also approved
transpired during the previous summits. More concretely, it "reviewed and
amendments to the GAD ordinance as discussed below. This amended version,
assessed the victories and failures of activities conducted; provided the'
Ordinance No. 90, series of 1999, now forms the basis of the GAD budget of Angeles.
opportunity to learn more about gender planning and the GAD Council; included
Under the mayor's office, an office has also been established, with an officer to
action planning and renewed the commitment of the ACWCC members for the
oversee the implementation of GAD activities.
upliftment of the status of women in society."
GAD ORDINANCE OF ANGELES CITY

Partnership towards the enactment
of the GAD ordinance Legal basis
ACWCC's advocacy then entered the legislative arena. Invoking RA 7192, the The original version of the GAD ordinance in Angeles was entitled "An
government's commitments to the Beijing Platform for Action and other national Ordinance Creating the City and Barangay GAD Council of Angeles City". It was
policies and measures that mandated the automatic appropriation for GAD promulgated on 25 March 1998, barely two months before the 11 May elections.
programs and projects in government agencies, including the local government, It draws its mandate from international agreements to which the Philippines is a
ACWCC lobbied hard for the passing of a city ordinance that would enshrine the signatory. For example, it cites the provisions of the United Nations Convention
GAD budget and the creation of a GAD council. on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women for the state
Sponsored by Councilor SusañPineda, the Angeles City GAD ordinance was to "take all appropriate measures to ensure the full development and advancement
passed in 1998, after almost two years of lobby work from women's group. The of women, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of
GAD ordinance was based on the right of local governments to enact local laws human rights and fundamental rights on the basis of equality with men."
that support and strengthen national laws. It sought to implement the joint The ordinance also cites 'the Philippine Constitution and RA 7192 as two
memorandum from the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women pieces of legislation that espouse equality of women and men before the law. The
(NCRFW) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that local Local Government Code of 1991 also provides that women's representation and

60 • GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN • 61
participation in community development and nation-building shall be The two councils were co-chaired by local government and civil society
encouraged. Two national documents which provide the basis for GAD budgeting representatives. In the barangay GAD council, the chairs are a barangay captain
are: the RA 8250 (Gender-responsive Projects of the General Appropriations Act (punong barangay) and an elected representative of women NGOs. In the city
of 1997), which enjoins all departments of government to set aside 5% of their GAD council, the structure is chaired by an elected president of ACWCC with the
appropriation for projects designed to address gender issues and the Local Budget city mayor as honorary head. -
Memorandum of DBM No. 28 which states that a minimum of 5% of the 1998 After the new mayor took over in June 1998, the GAD council envisioned in
appropriation shall be set aside for projects that address gender issues in the first version of the ordinance did not have a chance to be constituted. Instead,
accordance with RA 7192. in 1999, amendments were enacted by Ordinance No. 90 which replaced the
Ordinance No. 90 cites the same national and international documents. It original provisions.
also pays tribute to the initiatives and concerted efforts of ACWCC for having To begin with, the barangay-levél GAD councils were abolished. Second, the
formulated a"development framework and plan for the women of Angeles City," city GAD council was retained but with changes in its structure. The city mayor
thus resulting in the passage of the GAD ordinance. now sits as co-chair rather than as honorary chair. The NGO co-chair is an elected
representative of women NGOs in Angeles and is not necessarily an ACWCC
Implementing mechanism member. Representatives of four offices under the mayor are mandated to sit in
the GAD council: the city social welfare and development officer, the city health
Ordinance No. 82 provides for GAD councils at both the barangay and city officer, the city population officer, and the city planning officer. The chair of the
levels. At the barangay level, the council is composed of two representatives from committee on women of the city council is also a member along with
the barangay council in the form of heads of committees -on women and on representatives of the Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council),
finance and appropriations. NGO5 operating in the barangay also sit in the council the Association of Barangay Captains, and a government sector chosen by the
and constitute at least one-third of the full GAD council. Other representatives of mayor. Finally, there should be a GAD officer in the council who has to meet certain
local agencies can be called upon to assist in the formulation of barangay GAD qualifications and is appointed by the mayor.
plans and programs.
Ordinance No. 82 required the creation of an executive committee in both
At the city level, the GAD council consists of the following members: barangay and city-level GAD councils. The barangay chair and the mayor,
• representatives of local government agencies with women's programs, respectively, were to head the two executive committees, which were to be co-
who make up at least one-third of the members; chaired by a representative of a women's NGO. The ordinance also specifies the
• representatives of NGO5 operating in the city, who constitute another formation of functional committees. In Ordinance No. 90, the executive committee
third of the council; was retained and tasked to form functional committees. The committee is now
• the president of the Association of Barangay Captains in Angeles City; and co-chaired by the mayor and the chair of the committee on women.
• any other official of a local agency who might be called upon to assist ACWCC was named as the secretariat of the GAD council in 1998. It was tasked
in the formulation of GAD plans and programs. with the provision of technical support, documentation of proceedings, and
preparation of reports. In the 1999 version of the GAD ordinance, this
Ordinance No. 82 also stipulates for the representation of ACWCC in the GAD responsibility is given to "any non-governmental organization or education/
council. research institution' The choice of council secretariat has thus been extended to
include institutions other than ACWCC.

62 • GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? • 63
A GAD secretariat office has also been created under the office of the mayor • 10% for secretariat and executive committee; and
with an officer responsible for providing administrative and technical support • 55% for plans and programs of the city GAD council.
to the GAD council and for supervising and monitoring GAD activities in the city.
The amended version of the ordinance removes these stipulations. Instead,
Powers and duties of the GAD council it now allows for the following expenditures:
• personnel services, such as salaries of workers directly engaged in GAD
In both versions of the GAD ordinance, the GAD council has the responsibility
programs and activities;
for ensuring the promotion of welfare of women in the city. Among its duties are
• operating expenses incurred for managing women's shelter, health
the formulation of GAD plans, identification of women's issues, monitoring and
project, and training program, among others; and
evaluation of national and local GAD projects, establishment of consultative
• capital outlay for building and equipping women's shelters and train-
mechanisms between government and women, and maintnance of a databank.
ing centers.
In the amended ordinance, the following duties were added: (1) determining
gender issues in the city; (2) prioritizing issues so as to draw up targets, strategies,
Instead of including mandatory provisions for budget allocation, the
and objectives of the GAD council; (3) estimating needed resources for gender-
amended ordinance specifies the following priority areas for GAD budget:
sensitive and responsive planning and conducting seminars on it.
• education and human resources development;
The GAD council is accountable to the Sanggunian (city council), which must
• health, nutrition, and family planning;
approve or ratify its policies, programs, and projects. Consistent with gender
• social welfare and community development, e.g., day care centers, se-
mainstreaming, a provision is included for the integration of GAD plans in the
nior citizens, and persons with disability;
city's comprehensive development plan. Finally, the city's relationship with NCRFW
• labor and employment; and
is defined. The city's GAD plans are to be submitted to NCRFW "to help them
• special concerns on women and: migration, prostitution, violence, fam-
determine the kind of technical assistance they (the cities) need in implementing
ily, and indigenous cultural communities.
GAD plans".
The original version of the GAD ordinance included a penalty clause. Persons
Features of the GAD budget "violating, delaying, directly or indirectly instrumental in the non-
Both ordinances specify the allocation of a minimum of 5% of the annual implementation" of the ordinance were to be fined and/or imprisoned for a
general appropriation for GAD activities. This GAD fund is to be spent on gender maximum of one year. This section was deleted in the amended version of the
mainstreaming, setting up GAD focal points and other institutional mechanisms, ordinance, diminishing its forcefulness.
and for women-specific programs and plans.
In the original ordinance, mandatory budget allocations from the 5% GAD Comparative analysis of the GAD ordinance
budget were stipulated, namely:
The GAD ordinance traces its history to the concerted efforts of civil society
• 20% for women-directed programs of the city's social welfare and de- groups to formulate an institutional mechanism for enhancing gender equality
elopment office; and women's rights. Thus, it is to be expected that the original version of the
• 15% for programs of WDRC;
ordinance provides an important role for them in the form of ACWCC. The Critics of the political dynamics in Angeles City also noted that, with the
amended ordinance, while acknowledging the historical role of ACWCC, removes GAD office directly under the office of the mayor, this gives him the last say in the
its special role in implementation. Rather, the GAD council is opened to the broader implementation of GAD plans. This has shifted the responsibility for seeing to
spectrum of women NGOs and POs in Angeles City. their implementation from committed women's groups to elected government
This change, however, allows for a fuller representation of organizations officials whose vision of GAD still needs to be developed.
working on gender issues in the city. On the other hand, the amendment appears The amendments for use of the GAD budget provide greater leeway in
to be the result of partisan politics. The author of the original version, Susan allocation, so long as a program could be justified to be GAD-related. Indeed, the
Pineda had become a member of the minority party. The authors of the amended absence of a GAD plan necessitates a judgment call for each project implemented
version are all men and belong to the administration party in Angeles City. The through the GAD budget. Though a Women's Comprehensive Agenda has been drafted
original author and her group have, through the amendment, been dislodged by the ACWCC with the city government in consultation with civil society and formally
from being key players in the implementation of the GAD ordinance. adopted by the city council as part of its Medium-term Development Plan, the
Another important change is that the GAD council now has a secretariat office new administration never even lifted a finger to review or implement it.
housed in the office of the mayor, while the latter is co-chair of the council. Again, Allocations for capital outlay and equipment are also now allowed, a feature
this change diminishes the role of NGOs in the implementation of GAD plans. In that was absent in the original GAD ordinance. Funds for programs of the GAD
addition, the creation of the GAD office eats into the minimum 5% GAD budget council are not guaranteed, and it is unclear whether it is to be involved in
because it becomes necessary to fund the structure and operations of the office. allocating budgets for salaries, operating expenses, and the like, which are charged
In the original version of the ordinance, this expense, which was partly absorbed to the GAD budget.
by ACWCC, could have been better used on gender-directed projects rather than Despite these difference and . difficulties, the continuing promulgation of a
on salaries, equipments and vehicle. GAD ordinance which institutionalizes a GAD council and a GAD budget in Angeles
Control over the GAD budget, plans, and programs is now with the office of City is significant. It demonstrates to NGOs that a local government may welcome
the mayor. From the point of view of mainstreaming praxis, and disregarding mechanisms, programs, and plans that advance GAD. The ordinance shows, too,
partisan politics, making the mayor directly accountable for the GAD budget is a that GAD goals can be mainstreamed with those of the local government even
welcome move. It gives importance and credibility to GAD policies, plans, and though there may sometimes be hidden political agendas. It is a proof of the
projects. In other local and even national government agencies, NCRFW has wisdom of listening to the agenda for women of civil society, incorporating their
recommended that a similar status be given to the entity in charge of GAD. This interests in local government planning processes, and working with them for the
is based on the fact that, in a bureaucracy, orders from top management are more improvement of the situation of disadvantaged people.
likely to be implemented. The mayor's stamp of approval on GAD activities makes
them difficult to ignore.
ROLES AND VIEWS OF KEY PLAYERS
However, for mainstreaming to be more fully realized, it would have been a IN THE GAD BUDGET
better I option to lodge the secretariat in the city's planning office or development
council. In this way, the confluence between other development plans and GAD The planning and implementation of development programs is a complex
agenda would have been facilitated. This location would also have enabled the process that involves a host of organizations and sectors. As described above,
city to integrate gender issues more easily in its other development interventions. women's organizations were the prime movers in promoting a GAD budget in
Angeles City. The vision of a gender-equal society and the commitments to also to reach a broader range of clients or beneficiaries. For a group that is
women's concerns of various NGO5 and POs stoked the fires that led to the undertaking advocacy, reaching to the widest audience possible is crucial and
realization of a Women's Agenda for Angeles City. The clear understanding of pl'aces it in a strategic position to influence policies.
institutional mechanisms needed to address gender issues lit the way towards The diversity of ACWCC creates a dynamic interaction within the formation.
the enactment of a GAD ordinance. The efforts of the organizations, however, The member organizations bring different skills and experiences to the coalition.
bore fruit only through the cooperation and informed action of the mayor and Some are more adept at advocacy and lobbying while others have the mass base
the city council. Without the partnership forged between civil society groups and numbers and are able to enrich discussions with experiences and perspectives
and local government in Angeles City, a GAD ordinance would never have been from the grassroots.
realized.
As with most coalitions, however, ACWCC has to cope with varying degrees
In the absence of a GAD plan, the new city officials and GAD focal person of participation among members. IMA Foundation, serving as secretariat and
should have started the efforts for GAD mainstreaming by reviewing the drafted lead convenor, pours in resources in the form of staff, time, equipment, and
and adopted Women's Agenda of the city government. technical support. KKKA, a sister-organization, mobilizes and consolidates its
An important facet of the story of the GAD budget in Angeles City, therefore, members around the issues that the coalition adopts.
has to do with a thorough understanding of the various players responsible for Despite the differences in perspectives and contributions, the coalition
the non-implementation of the Women's Agenda, the enactment of GAD ordinance, reached consensus on three major points in 1998:
and its continuing implementation.
• the need to address prostitution in Angeles City as a human rights
violation;
Member organizations of ACWCC • the need for a comprehensive, long-term, and sustainable gender pro-
gram for the city; and
If there is one single characteristic that has served as the strength of ACWCC • the need for a commitment to work for equality and elimination of
as a coalition, it is the diversity of the member organizations. ACWCC is a coalition discrimination against women.
advocating not mainly gender issues though majority of its members are women's
organizations. It includes mixed groups servicing youth and children. It is also
The independent and collective efforts of ACWCC members to address the
multisectoral. ACWCC's members are a combination of POs, NGO5, and middle-
plight of women, the continuing task of probing the roots of women's issues, and
level civic organizations embracing different political persuasions and religious
the search for relevant solutions led to the formulation of the Angeles City Women's
backgrounds.
Agenda. This, in turn,formed the basis for the comprehensive women's development
Further, although the majority of the core group members are women's NGOs, program adopted by the city council through Resolution No. 877 of 1997.
these embrace diverse feminist philosophies. For example, they approach the work
of empowering prostituted women from significantly different points of view.
Local government and gender advocacy
Some approach the issue with a strong activist stance while others place a
premium on religious and spiritual formation and describe their work as Angeles became a city in 1964. Under the mayor, the chief executive, are 17
"ministering".
departments and 9 sub-offices, which have responsibility over administrative,
These features not only form the perspectives of the coalition but enable it financial, and sectoral concerns.
In the task of governance, the mayor is assisted by the Sangguniang which requires entertainers to go to the government-run social hygiene clinic
Panlungsod (city council). Chaired by the vice-mayor, the city council is made for pap smear prevents the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS.
up of 12 councilors. Ten are elected while one sits as the president of the However, as noted above, only a small number of entertainers go to the clinic.
Association of Barangay Captains and another as the chair of the youth council. Other GAD concerns were instead answered by the GAD officer during the
The council has 33 regular committees to oversee various aspects of governance. interview.
The responsibility for implementation of the GAD ordinance, as discussed
above, rests with the GAD council through the GAD secretariat office. Programs GAD council and office
and projects are supposedly identified by the council, and documents for fund The GAD office's accomplishment report for January-October 2000 lists
allocation are prepared by the secretariat. The city council studies the budget diverse activities: advocacy, health services and health insurance, credit assistance,
proposal and makes recommendations that go to the mayor for approval. There a mass wedding project, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) awards.At first
are, thus, three sets of players in implementing the GAD ordinance and its budget: glance, many of these projects fitted into the priority areas for GAD budget
the mayor, the GAD council, and secretariat; the city council; and the local specified by theamended ordinance. The projects were also in line with the
government officials who prepare and disburse the budget. Below is a discussion mayor's own strategic vision for Angeles City which includes programs on health,
of their views and plans on GAD and its budget. education, infrastructure, and other social services. However, the GAD office could
not provide hard figures to show the number of women and men who benefited
Mayor
from the different activities. The mass wedding project and the PNP awards
Gender and women's issues are not new to the mayor. During his incumbency suggested that the local government did not have a clear understanding of gender
as representative of the first district of Pampanga, he allocated a portion of his issues.
countrywide development fund for the construction of WDRC. Mayor Lazatin Two member organizations of ACWCC, Nutrition and Livelihood Resource
considers women's issues to revolve around livelihood opportunities, expansion Center, Inc. (NUTRILINC), and Women's Education, Development, Productivity and
of basic health services, assistance for day care, and improvement of overseas Research Organization (WEDPRO), are members of the GAD council. They are
employment opportunities for women. He also wants to link GAD programs with outnumbered by three other NGO5 sympathetic to the present administration.
his three E's project: environment, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. Although ACWCC members have attended several meetings, they expressed
Mayor Lazatin is proud of the centers currently being constructed within frustration over the lack of planning and consultation in the disbursement of the
the city hall compound, i.e., a child-minding center, a women's crisis center, and GAD fund.
a GAD resource center (this one, however, duplicates the function of WDRC). In The present GAD officer served as congressional staff to several House
terms of advancing the situation of migrant women, the mayor singles out his representatives and later in the office of then Congressperson Lazatin. After her
successful efforts at linking up potential overseas workers with a recruitment appointment to the position, she has done her best to learn about GAD. She
agency in the United Kingdoth, where he believes exploitation is minimal. considers her present work with the GAD council to be moving in the right
The mayor denies that prostitution and white slavery are problems in Angeles direction and avers that its projects reach out to many women, especially the
City. He believes that his administration's drive to license nightclubs has done urban poor. She admits that there is prostitution in Angeles, but that her office is
away with this problem. NGOs think otherwise, and point out that regulation has coordinating with other agencies to tackle the problem. However, she also states
resulted in "illegal collections". Mayor Lazatin also notes that the city's ordinance that the city cannot prevent women from going into prostitution as it is a more
lucrative job compared with others. Her expressed desire to run for public office that the GAD ordinance is not being implemented in ways that empower women.
in the 2001 elections made NGO5 wary of her real motives in implementing GAD Because there is no comprehensive GAD plan, the money is not spent appropriately,
activities without the benefit of planning. and is sometimes even diverted to cover costs that should otherwise be funded
by the regular budget. Both councilors also deplore the fact that the lone woman
Councilors councilor in the city was stripped of her position as chair of the committee on
women because she is a member of the opposition.
The councilor who is the head of the committee on women is a man. He
is one of the authors of the amended GAD ordinance, the chair of the As part of the opposition group in the city council, these councilors are often
committee on finance, and a trusted aide of the mayor. He admits that some left out of the budget planning process. Instead, they have acted as fiscalizers or
of the revisions to the original GAD ordinance were intended to diminish "watchdogs", using their privilege speeches to ensure that the GAD budget be a
the role of NGOs in the preparation and implementation of GAD plans and separate line item in the city budget proposal and that the GAD ordinance be
programs. He proposed these changes because he believes elected officials implemented. They have also used the media and other public fora to air their
should be held accountable for government funds. He refers to this as "check- opinion that the city needs to formulate a development plan and to be transparent
and-balance". He says that ACWCC's secretariat function was abolished as it in its budgeting and expenditure processes.
represented only one type of NGO and does not speak for others in the city. Councilor Susan Pineda, author of the original GAD ordinance, avers that
Nonetheless, he would like the secretariat to work in partnership with NGO5 programs currently funded by the GAD budget are not directly addressing gender
so that it becomes more of a facilitating rather than an implementing issues. She believes that efforts to institutionalize the GAD council have been
mechanism of the GAD ordinance. derailed because funds have been spent instead on vehicle purchases and for the
The councilor also admits that prostitution is a problem in Angeles City. GAD office's operational expenses. Regular programs were incorporated in the
Among prostituted women,he considers the "freelance sex workers" as more of a GAD fund, resulting in token compliance and mere attribution rather than a realS
problem as they are unmonitored and are not compelled to visit the social hygiene reorientation of spending. Councilor Pineda also states that the total budget of
clinic. These are the women, he says, that the NGO5 need to assist. He would also Angeles City, not only the GAD budget, should address the interrelationships
like to see more interventions dealing with violence against women such as free among women, poverty, and other issues to make the remaining 95°A of the city
budget more gender responsive.
legal assistance to victims. He concurs that NGOs have a lot to contribute to the
advancement of the status of women although he himself has not worked on
Planning, budget, and finance officials
these issues before.
The councilor expresses disappointment about the GAD office's operations The city treasurer, budget officer, and accountant are responsible for ensuring
while admitting that he gave blanket authority to the GAD officer. He states that, that funds allocated to GAD budget are made available. All three officials in Angeles
ideally, .the GAD office should work closely with NGOs and function as a steering City know that 5% of the city's budget should be allocated to GAD fund in
committee, assist in capability-building of organizations, and gather and analyze compliance with both the memo circular from DBM and the GAD ordinance.
data on the city's women for planning purposes. He notes that a GAD assembly or However, they admit to being unfamiliar with international and national
consultation has not materialized and that GAD funds are sometimes used for proclamations on GAD and have only a cursory acquaintance with RA 7192.
non-GAD items. Despite their unfamiliarity with GAD, none of the officials think the 5% is a
Two councilors representing the minority bloc within the city council agree wasted allocation. They concur that spending the GAD fund for health, day care,
72 . GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? . 73
livelihood, training, and interventions for violence against women address food handlers in such establishments are also required to undergo lung x-rays.
women's issues in Angeles City. They all think that the 5% allocation is sufficient The city also collects a fee for the issuance or renewal of IDs for women entertainers.
and that the best way to address gender issues is for the local government to
The city receives revenue from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming
work more closely with NGO5.
Corporation (PACGOR), which operates a casino in the city. In 1999, financial
Despite these perspectives, the GAD council's programs are not integrated contribution from PAGCOR amounted to P21 million, or 6.6% of total revenue.
into those of the Development Council of Angeles City (DcAc).Although DCACi5
Other sources of revenue include donations from the private sector, financial
a member of GAD council, it does not take part in planning and preparing GAD-
assistance from the national government, official development assistance, and
related programs. The DCAC officer, in fact, attends the GAD council meetings
countrywide development funds from Congress persons. The city government
only if she has time and to represent DCAC rather than to participate in its
has memoranda of agreement with international organizations such as the
deliberations. She states that there is no need to integrate gender in the DCAC
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) Foundation for provision
plans since there is a separate GAD office in charge of mainstreaming GAD
of emergency contraception; the United States Agency for International
concerns.
Development for P1.6 million trust fund for family planning and child survival
programs; and the United Nations Children's Fund for provision of medicines.
HOW THE GAD BUDGET IS SOURCED, The city government claims to have sourced funds from the Canadian
ALLOCATED, AND SPENT International Development Agency (CIDA). However, CIDA contributed money
through a Canadian-based NGO to implement a five-year capability-building
City revenues
project to prostituted women in partnership with the Soroptimists International-
The bulk of the city's revenue comes from the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Angeles City chapter and WEDPRO. The construction of a drop-in center for women
the form of IRA. In 1999, IRA accounted for 62% of Angeles City's total budget of was the counterpart of the city government which was funded by the GAD funds.
41317.63 million. The city government has not, to date, incurred any deficit in its budget. Rather,
Beyond IRA, the city government's revenues come mainly from real property it has maintained a surplus. From 1991 to 1999, revenue has continuously risen,
and local taxes. In 1999, real property taxes contributed close to 10% of the belying the notion that the city was dependent on the us base for its prosperity.
income. Business taxes contributed about 7% and amusement taxes,-2%. Further In 2000, the budget rose to P331 million, an increase of P13.5 million over that of
revenue came from franchise,
franchise, community, and transfer taxes as well as fees 1999.
generated from banks, moneylenders, and pawnshops. Among the revenues from The city does not have records of how much women contribute in terms of
1999 operations, the biggest chunk came from mayor's permits, followed by real property, business, and community taxes. It does not have records of what
building permits and garbage fees. Revenues from government economic proportion of business taxes comes from entertainment establishments that
enterprises constituted 5.3% of the city's income. employ women or of how many mayor's permits are attributable to women.
Fees paid by women for pap smear examinations amounted to P600,000,
making up 0.3% of the city's income. The pap smear or gram staining fee collected
Budget formulation
by the social hygiene clinic is P20 and each entertainer is supposed to be tested
on a weekly basis. Half of the amount goes to city coffers while the other half The Angeles City government follows the same budget process of other local
goes to the local bar/karaoke association. Annually, the entertainers as well as governments (see Figure 1). The city accountant, together with the city council's
finance committee, city budget officer, and mayor, discuss the projected revenue For allocations of the GAD budget in 2000, see Table 1. The classification of
collection. Each office of the local government specifies its priority projects and programs, projects, and activities by priority areas as delineated in the GAD
submits its budget for the following year to the mayor for approval. Then the ordinance and budget allocations is given in Table 2
budget is presented to the city council for review and approval.
The biggest proportion (29%) of the 2000 GAD budget was spent on special
The process of formulating the GAD budget is similar to the preparation of concerns such as for women's month celebration, anti-drug abuse council, blood
the city budget, but is coordinated by the GAD council. However, as shown in bank, assistance to NGOs and POs, and PNP awards. Projects on health and
Figure 2, before finalizing the GAD budget, the officer takes the draft to the community development follow closely. Here, the largest allocation was for day
Commission on Audit (c0A) for checking. In 1999, COA rejected some projects. care workers, followed by maintenance of the GAD office rather than by
Nevertheless, the 5% GAD budget is always appropriated since the head of the employment or education programs.
finance committee also chairs the women committee.
The GAD officer and the mayor perceive all the projects to be directly related
Contradictory to the ideal sequence of the process, NGO members of the to gender concerns. However, ACWCC members object to this perception. They
GAD council stated that they were not consulted nor provided an opportunity to
think that items, such as salaries of day care workers, medical assistance to senior
have their say on budget allocations for the previously implemented GAD projects.
Figure 2. The GAD budget process.

Figure I. The budget process in Angeles City.
Players Processes
Players Processes
GAD council: discussion of GAD

City mayor chair, city mayor; programs, projects, and activities
discussion on revenue collection and
Chair, committee on expenditures co-chair, women NGO for gender-related prioritization and
women/finance representative budget allocation
budget prioritization
City accountant
City budget officer
each office submits its budget for a
particular year and identifies priorities
budget proposals submission of draft budget to COA
'Jr
.1
counciIIIIIIIIIIIIII
City mayor submission to and recommendation
by the mayor checking of draft proposal
presentation to city council for review
City and approval 'I,
review and approval of GAD budget
.1
City mayor final approval
final approval
City mayor

Table I. GAD budget appropriations (P), 2000. citizens, purchase of medicine, and funding for health insurance should be
Budget category
charged to the executive budget. They say that direct relationship between gender
equality goals, on the one hand, and drug abuse or blood bank, on the other
GAD budget Definitely GAD- hand, is not readily evident. Women -specific projects have not received substantial.
targeted Certainly not
Maybe GAD-
(direct services! GAD- allocations, compared to those reserved for salaries and office maintenance. They
targeted targeted
programs in the
area find the GAD budget as mere attribution and superficial in nature because it does
Executive Health. affairs AC anti-drug abuse
not address the distinct and specific needs of women of which the GAD ordinance
Honoraria for day monitoring
budget council
tare workers program was really intended for.
Mayors office
1,256.380.00
Legal/financial Blood bank Longwe's (1990) well-known framework of women's equality and
Non-office assistance to empowerment uses a classification of welfare, access, participation, conscientization,
4.91 9. II I .20 sexually abused
women and control. Using this framework, a large proportion of the budget is seen to
Women's month enhance women's welfare. Items for allocation include health and nutrition
celebration
programs, social welfare and community development, and undetermined
Financial assistance assistance to sexually abused women. Access to education is supported by the
to woolen POs
and NGOs scholarship program, but there are no available data on the number of women
Total
GAD office and men assisted. The city health officer said that, as of October 2000, a total of
6.175,491.20 operations
12,000 indigent beneficiaries were able to use Philhealth insurance. How many
of them were women could not be ascertained. Livelihood subsidies may enable
Supplemental Youth gender Scholarship
budget I sensitivity program more women to participate in paid work. The gender sensitivity program for the
development
1.131,413.24 program youth and for the Aetas (indigenous group in Pampanga) is an opportunity to
Women-initiated raise their consciousness on gender issues.
livelihood project
Supplemental AC health
Table 2. Programs, projects, and activities, as classified by priority areas
Women-initiated PNP award
budget 11 - insurance delineated in GAD ordinance and budget allocations.
livelihood project program
2.004,596.15
GAD office
operations Philhealth advocacy GAD priority areas (and no. of Allocation (P) %
program programs, projects, and activities)
Sapangbato day
care center Aetas gender Education and human resources 979,613.32 II
sensitivity program development (3)
Health, nutrition, and family planning (5) 1,896,596.15 20
Senior citizens'
medical assistance Social welfare and community 1,775,918.20 19
Purchase of development (2)
medicines Labor and employment (3) 581,799.92 6
Special concerns (6) 2,719,193.00 29
Scholarship
program GAD office 1,358,976.15 15
Total . 9,312,096.74 100
Angeles City executive budget 2000 = 320,000,000 Actual GAD budget allocation (2.9%) = 9,311,500.59
Supposed GAD budget allocation (57.) = 16,000,000 GAD deficit in regular budget (2. I %) = 6,688,499.41
1. Missing are programs, firstly, that affirm women's right to be perceived as A status report by the GAD office covering the period December 1999-October
respectable individuals and not commodities for pleasure and, secondly, 2000 showed the expenditure for the GAD program. The Gender Empowerment
interventions that seek to change male perceptions of their superior status. These Fund (GEF) for 25-35 women NGOs and PUs had the largest chunk of the budget,
interventions would raise awareness on the meaning of gender equality. at P1.4 million. However, the amount has not yet been released at the time of
Employment schemes that open wider opportunities for women to participate writing this paper, despite the fact that it was already reflected as released and
in gainful work other than in entertainment would also be more in line with disbursed.
gender goals. Capability-building programs that empower women to take control The Women Health, Empowerment, Affirmation and Life (HEAL) Project
over their situation and to be decisionmakers in the workplace and the community
registered an expenditure of P500,000. This project assisted women victims of
(for example, as managers, organizers, labor or community leaders) could also violence and cancer patients. To date, there have been 150 recipients. A P10,000
hasten the empowerment process. donation was also given to the mother of a rape victim.
But perhaps the harshest criticism that has been leveled against GAD budget The third largest GAD fund expenditure went to such activities as women's
is that it was prepared without due consultation with the citizenry. As a day parade; fora on women's rights, empowerment, and leadership; seminars on
consequence, there is - no written plan that can be used for allocations of the
women's health, maternal care, and entrepreneurship (Entrepinay Sharing-forum)
budget. The GAD officer, the chair of the finance/women committee, and the mayor
and gender sensitivity; and a cataract operation.
have been the principal actors in making the allocations.
The rest of the GAD budget was spent on projects such as Konsiyerto Handog
Despite these observations, Angeles City must still be commended for
sa Kababaihan (a concert for women --P60,000), the Aetas livelihood and gender-
implementing a GAD budget, as this is not done by the overwhelming majority of
sensitivity project (P50,000), and GAD advocacy for youth.
local governments in the country. Moreover, the city has increased its allocations
However, contrary to the GAD report, said allocated budgets were not totally
under the GAD program within the short span of two years.
expended as reflected in the approved supplemental budgets of the city council.
Various GAD funds were reverted back to the general fund of the city, such as the
Expenditures on allocations GAD day care center/child-minding center, financial assistance to women NGO,
legal assistance program, construction of a rape crisis center, and other gender
Budget analysis often reveals a difference between allocations and
related programs. Succeeding years of approved supplemental budgets would
expenditures. This subsection discusses this matter, with focus on the year 1999,
likewise reveal the unused GAD funds which were reverted back to the general
when a lump sum of P4 million was allotted to GAD office. The biggest single
funds. Supplemental budget no. 1 of year 2001 revealed that an amount of
expenditure was for capital outlay, which ate up 33% of the GAD fund. This was
P1,39 1,974.64, excluding others, from GAD funds was not utilized in year 2000.
followed by expenditures for GAD office and for a community organizer. In
This occurred at a point where the government has not released its pending
summary, these alone comprise already the 70% of the fund while a measly 30%
unpaid financial obligation to ACWCC for services it has sought to be rendered on
went to gender-related programs. Among the programs implemented in 1999,
behalf of the government.
grants and scholarships were the biggest line item followed by expenses on
discretionary fund. There were also disbursements for training and seminars.
Expenditures against the 1999 GAD fund amounted to only P1.69 million,
representing 42% of GAD budget. Thus, a sizable proportion of the funds for
gender concerns failed to be translated into programs.
80 . GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? . 81
GAD budgeting in the community In 1999 and 2000,60-65% of the budget went to salaries of city employees.
n the present administration of Angeles City, the priority program areas of the
Four barangays were visited to determine their experiences with GAD budget.
nayor are health, education, infrastructure, and provision of other social services.
In three barangays, there was a 5% GAD fund created from the IRA because the
ixcept for infrastructure, all the other areas of concern are also in the GAD.
officials were familiar with the DBM circular and GAD ordinance. The captain in
)rogram.
the fourth barangay was not aware of the mandatory allocation for GAD.
In the executive budget for 1999, the biggest item under non-office
The magnitude of the GAD fund in the three complying barangays was as
ippropriations was for PNP, followed by funding for community health service
follows: (1) barangay Sta. Teresita - P89,000 (5% of 20% allotment for
rogram and calamity assistance. In 2000, the PNP again had the largest budget,
development); (2) barangay Pulongbulo - P105,101 (5% of IRA); and (3)
ollowed by the scholarship program and purchase of medicines.
barangay Lourdes Sur - P56,000(4.7% of IRA).
The processes of budgeting and interpreting the allocation of GAD budget Gender
varied. In one barangay, the GAD fund was interpreted to mean 5% of the 20%
allotment for development projects rather than 5% of total IRA. In two barangays, Gender mainstreaming in local development plans means that concern for
the barangay captain drafted the budget while in another community, the gender issues is integrated in all local government's plans and programs and
barangay treasurer did that. However, in all cases, the draft budget was presented their corresponding budget allocations. In Angeles City, the perspectives of local
to the respective barangay council, which often approved it without revisions. officials are divided. Some say that the programs supported by the 5% mandatory
allocation for GAD are sufficient. Others observe that aspects of the main budget
The GAD budget of the three complying barangays is used as "bridge funds"
also benefit women and thus, the city's budget for them is already more than 5%.
to pay for costs not covered by the regular budgets. Hence, it has been used to pay
NGO5 maintain that a comprehensive development plan for women should guide
for allowances or salaries of barangay personnel, who include outreach,
the total budget planning. The plan should benefit men and women equally,
development, and day care workers; nutrition scholars; janitors; drivers;
particularly in terms of promoting human rights, gender equality, and women's
messengers; and security guards.
empowerment.
Taking these different viewpoints into consideration, gender-related
JUDGEMENT ABOUT GENDER RELATIONS allocations under the executive budget of the city were analyzed. The research
The remaining 95% was hampered by the fact that Angeles City has no comprehensive development
plan on which the examination of the available data can be anchored. Presented
Priorities of the city below are attributes of the possible gender-related impacts of particular line
Appropriations of the Angeles City general budget in 1999 and 2000 were items.
allocated according to the line items of personal services; maintenance and The guideposts in selecting programs, projects, and activities were those
operating expenses; subsidy to national field offices; budgetary aid to component incorporated in the GAD ordinance and the goals of the Philippine Plan for Gender
barangays; GAD program; development fund for human and ecological security Responsive Development (PPGRD). Then; each line item was evaluated in terms of
(HEs) initiative; institutional development projects; and other expenditures. The potential impacts on enhancing gender equality and empowerment. In essence,
rest was allotted to mandatory provisions, such as 5% for GAD and 20% for the analyzed programs, projects, and activities included the following:
development fund. . education and human resources development;
HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? • 83
• health, nutrition, and family planning; Social welfare and community development. There were three items in this
• social welfare and community development; category which received allocations in 1999: honoraria for day care workers, funds
• employment and livelihood; for the subcommittee on the welfare of children and implementation of the Social
• gender equality; Reform Agenda, and food packages. The allocation for day care workers was
• women's empowerment; shifted to GAD fund. Their services have clear impacts on women who become
• sustainable development; free for employment and other activities. These also supplement children's
• peace, social justice, and respect for human rights. learning, activities for which are often undertaken by women. Thus, these
programs enhance the welfare of women and men.
Education and human resources development. The main impact here of the Employment and livelihood. Only two items were earmarked for livelihood
executive budget will be through the city's scholarship programs. In 1999, P1.5 programs in 2000 - livelihood assistance to urban poor and subsidy for the
million was allotted to this item, and this was doubled in 2000. The number of Angeles City Credit Union. Depending on the degree to which women have access
selected scholars who are women is not known, a figure which would help to these funds, they can have a gender impact in terms of equalizing livelihood
determine the impacts of the scholarships on women's empowerment through opportunities.
education.
Gender equality. There are no specific line items in the executive budget
Health, nutrition, and family planning. More than P9 million was provided that can be related directly to this goal of PPGRD. However, insofar as access to
for health concerns in 1999. The biggest allocations were for the barangay health health, education, and social welfare programs is equal for women and men, some
services program and the city's nutrition program. In 2000, the health-related of the allocations mentioned above may have gender impacts. The extent to which
budget decreased to 416.8 million, with almost half of the allocations going to the this is true can only be ascertained by examining implementation reports that
nutrition program and the purchase of medicines. provide disaggregated data.
Some 55% of the city health office's P26 million annual budget goes to Women's empowerment. This can take many forms. It can be achieved through
personnel services, and P4 or PS million to medicine, aside from supplies used providing opportunities for education (e.g., scholarships); for girls to organize
during calamities. The office has a staff of 140, among whom are 8 doctors, 8 themselves so as to develop and express their talents and potentials (e.g., subsidy.
nurses, 36 midwives, sanitation inspectors, and staff of the population office and for Girl Scouts); for consciousness-raising (i.e., gender sensitization). The Angeles
the social hygiene clinic. The latter plans to change its name to Reproductive City executive budget has responded to the empowerment objectives of GAD in
Health and Wellness Center and to mainstream its services in line with the these ways. However, the allocations are considerably less than those for salaries
provisions of the Anti-AIDS Ordinance which ACWCC also actively advocated for. of health and day care workers and for health programs.
For 2001,10% of the 5% GAD fund taken from the general fund should go to the
Sustainable development. The conservation of the environment is a gender
RHWC.
goal. Human choices and capabilities are curtailed by damage to the environment
All three major budget items on health and nutrition in the past two years and natural resources. Subsidies for a clean and green program as well as for
involved the direct participation of women as health providers in the family and disaster awareness and information program help raise the consciousness of
as implementers of such programs in communities. Thus, these subsidies enhance women and men concerning their environment. If women help implement the
access to public services that women need. Salaries and allowances for barangay program, then they have also been participants in a program for sustainable
health and nutrition workers, who are usually women, also provide support. For development. In 1999, the program received an allocation of P1 million.
families in barangays, health and nutrition programs improve welfare. Unfortunately, the item disappeared from the 2000 budget.
Peace, social justice, and respect for human rights. Only one item in the main GAINS AND SETBACKS: PERCEIVED IMPACTS
budget can be classified as responding to the GAD goal of peace and social justice, OF THE GAD ORDINANCE AND BUDGET
i.e., the People's Law Enforcement Board. None can be categorized as belonging
to the category of respect for human rights. These concerns are, however, included The viewpoint from barangays
in the GAD programs.
In the final analysis, the value of the GAD ordinance and its budget hinges
on the extent to which they improve the situation of the intended beneficiaries in
GAD-related expenditures on the executive budget the city. Since many of the items budgeted for in the past two years were for
people in the communities, the barangay leaders were asked to indicate how they
This section describes actual expenditures of the non-GAD parts of the thought the GAD budget has improved their lives.
budget in 1999. Allocations for community welfare programs of the city
In all four barangays visited, there were beneficiaries of GAD fund subsidy
government were well-utilized. More than 90% of allocations for community
for health insurance to indigent individuals. One informant alleged that at least
health services and for honoraria of barangay and day care workers were
half of the recipients in his barangay were women. As few as 46 to as many as 300
expended. Additional expenses were incurred for barangay health workers using
individuals in separate barangays have been beneficiaries of PhilHealth. In one
HES allocation. Similarly, close to 90% of PAGCOR funds for scholarships were
barangay, scholarships have also benefited 20 girls and women who received
spent although only a third of the allocation was disbursed.
awards for high school, college, or vocational courses.
Less than half of the funds for the AIDS council, population program, and
From the regular budget of the city, micro credit programs have reached the
subcommittee for the welfare of children were expended. No programs were
barangays, or are being planned for implementation by the city social welfare
implemented under the employment and livelihood program. Neither was there
and development office. In Lourdes Sur, 30 women benefited from these
any disbursement reported under the Social Reform Agenda or the support to
programs.
food packages in 1999, although these programs were included in the budget.
Overall, about 74% of 1999 allocations for programs that could have direct impact Community-based projects of GAD council have certainly benefited urban
on women, using PAGCOR funds, were expended. Only 25% of HES budget for poor women in Angeles City especially in terms of access to health insurance.
similar items was spent. Education scholarships have the potential to empower recipients since skills and
knowledge open up opportunities for their productivity. The GAD fund has also
In the absence of more information, it is difficult to explain the expenditure
been used to subsidize salaries and honoraria of barangay workers, specifically
patterns of Angeles City. Available documents failed to indicate why there was
day care and health workers, who are usually women.
underspending on some items and whether funds were diverted for other
purposes. What was nevertheless clear was that there was plenty of money to What was missing in all these programs, however, was the direct effort to
spare for projects that could benefit women, both in the GAD fund and in the rest extend benefits and subsidies to the underprivileged on account of gender issues.
of the executive budget. It appears also that the several reverted GAD funds to the It would be more clearly a GAD program if an advocacy or information component
general funds indicate that there is enough financial resources which remained was included in such programs. For instance, prior to extending PhilHealth
untapped and unutilized. Such funds could have changed the status of women benefits, there should have been a gender sensitivity session on the problems
in addressing various gender inequality and development issues. arising in terms of access to health care because poor women were not employed
in the formal sector. This would have enabled urban poor beneficiaries to
understand their situation better. Much of what is needed at the moment,
HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? • 87
therefore, relates to raising awareness in the communities and among officials of

how the GAD budget will be spent. The perception is that the GAD budget is being
gender constructs and issues,
utilized to cover programs or activities that should have been charged to 'the
Further, the question remains as to why salaries of community workers that regular government funds. Even when the city government undertakes activities
would be allocated even without the GAD mandatory budget are charged to it that revolve around women-specific development projects - violence against
rather than forming part of the regular city budget. If this would be done, money women, health and medical missions, nutrition, livelihood - the initiatives
could be freed to use the GAD fund to subsidize other gender-directed projects. smack of tokenism.
ACWCC members note that staffing of the GAD secretariat has grown to 33,
The viewpoint from civil society and that this is eating a big chunk of the GAD budget. Much of the resources have
also been spent on capital outlay, for vehicles, computers, tables, and other office
ACWCC representatives believe that amendments to the GAD ordinance equipment.
watered down the gains made by ACWCC and the women's movement in the
The priority programs being funded through the GAD budget are perceived
legislative arena. The amendments placed the practical control of GAD structure,
to be primarily welfare in nature. Subsidies for PhilHealth, medical missions,
budget, and processes in the hands of the mayor and his appointed officials whose
maternity and child care, and school supplies for indigent children are presently
qualifications to occupy the positions are questioned by NG0s. The ACWCC notes,
the pet projects being funded by GAD. In the minds of ACWCC members, these are
for example, that the chair of the city council's committee on women is a male
palliative measures that do not question the gender relationships spawning the
with no prior experience on women's issues. The lone woman councilor in Angeles
problems they seek to address. Further, even the GAD budget already approved
City previously held that position. The ACWCC was also booted Out from the GAD
by the city council was altered without due notice.
secretariat. Another formation initiated by the city government and whose
membership are government officials and employees, the Angeles City Women's Meanwhile, the P1.4 million GAD allocation for NG05 has not yet been given.
Education and Development, took its place. The amount translates roughly into P50,000 per NGO which they and the POs are
banking on to support their projects. Even activities of ACWCC, which used to be
ACWCC attempted to win over the new administration by organizing two
funded by the city government, are no longer financially supported.
consecutive fora in 1998 to present the Women's Agenda. The NGOs did not succeed
as the local government executives by that time were bent on amending the still Yet although the road ahead seems bumpy, the NG0s recognize the gains
unimplemented ordinance. they and the women's movement, in general, have achieved with GAD legislation.
First, at least two of ACWCC's member organizations - NUTRILINC and WEDPRO
ACWCC members also claim that the 33-member GAD council, which is
- are members of GAD council. Second, the legislation has definitely instilled
composed mostly of governmental organizations, is not gender-responsive and
gender consciousness within the local government. Third, despite obstacles in
tends to be partisan. There are concerns also that the one-NGO-one-vote policy
its implementation, at least there is a GAD ordinance that can be further improved
weakens the NG0 voice in the GAD council. The role that ACWCC used to play, as
through the relentless advocacy of NGOs and grassroots women. Fourth, however
institutionalized by Resolution No. 878, series of 1997, is undermined by the
"welfarish" the programs being funded by GAD budget are, at least there are
formation of an ad hoc committee where only elected NGOs can sit.
services that may be availed of by women and children who need them. Fifth, the
The ACWCC laments the fact that the decisionmaking in resource allocation legislation has provided an example for other localities to follow and improve
is centrally vested within the inner circle of city hall. There have been no consultations upon.
with NGOs thus far.As a result, only those who are close to the mayor can influence

The viewpoint from city hail ments, such as registration with the Securities and Exchange Commis-
sion, membership profile, and track record, among others, the women's
Proponents of the GAD program in Angeles City are convinced that they are
groups have experienced difficulties in gaining access to these funds.
moving in the right direction. The mayor is certain that programs under the GAD
As of this writing, no NGO has accessed the fund yet.
budget have had positive impacts.
The secretary to the mayor notes that the impacts of the GAD budget are
Despite these gains,-the GAD officer realizes that much still has to be done to
monitored through reports of officials of the Sangguniang Kabataan and the
make people understand the importance of GAD. Not very many people, especially
Sangguniang Barangay. The creation of the AIDS council, she avers, came from
at the grassroots, are familiar with the GAD ordinance and its programs. More
the suggestion of both GOs and NGO5 as well as from entertainers and club owners.
PUs still have to be tapped and accredited with the GAD council to address gender
Pap smear and other health services have been made available to the city's
issues at the grassroots. Other offices and departments in the city need to be
entertainers. These programs directly respond to the needs of the women in the
more involved in GAD activities.
city.
From the standpoint of the GAD officer, the GAD budget has had direct impacts
on women in ways that are consistent with the city's priority areas of concern.
The viewpoint from critics
These impacts are as follows: The most important criticism leveled against the GAD ordinance is the fact
The HEAL project is being launched to provide health services to women. that the GAD budget is not based on a comprehensive plan. As one critic notes,
The GAD office considers violence against women as a health issue; because there is no comprehensive program on women, "much of these
hence, a portion of the fund is allocated to address this issue. For in- [allocations] are simply scattered or even diverted into other programs like the
stance, a financial assistance of P10,000 was given to the mother of a training of barangay captains. The justification for the diversion of fund allocation
rape victim to support and sustain the ensuing legal battle. is based on a project's relation to gender." For example, the utilization of the GAD
Education empowers women to have opportunity and equal access to budget for health and sanitation expenditures is justified on the basis that women
various resources. However, government restrictions limit what classes benefit from these. Because of the absence of a plan, compliance with the GAD
can be offered. Hence, nonformal education programs on nontraditional budget memorandum becomes more of a policy statement and the fund is not
trades such as electronics received an allocation of P21,000 from other used to the optimum. For instance, in 1999, the funds allocated for the institution
fund sources. More than half of the participants were women. A func- of the GAD council were diverted. A part of these was used for capital outlay and
tional literacy program for the entertainers is also being proposed. the bulk went to the operations of the GAD office.
Some P450,000 was allocated from the GAD fund to construct a child- Critics also note that the implementation of the GAD ordinance has been
minding center for the children of city hail employees. Day care centers affected by partisan politics. Instead of the secretariat making decisions,
and workers get their appropriations from the GAD budget. The other consultations with different sectors should have been conducted to identify
item, with an appropriation of P400,000, is the Tita Suarez women's program beneficiaries properly. A nonpartisan approach would be one where
crisis and reproductive health center which has recently been completed. NGOs have a greater say in the GAD council and in the drawing up of a GAD plan
The GEF constituted the bulk of GAD fund amounting to P1.4 million. for the city. To be nonpartisan would also have meant allowing opposition
To avail of GEF, organizations are required to submit their project pro- members in the city council to participate in planning. The critics feel that ACWCC
posals for funding. Because of the need to comply with COA require- should have, been allowed to remain as secretariat given its prior history of
90. GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH REALLY GOES TO WOMEN? . 91
involvement. Existing mechanisms and GAD fund could have been used for important initiative if gender is to be mainstreamed in the work of the different
programs directly responding to women's concerns. departments and offices.
Expenditures for the city's employment and livelihood programs have been
What do the different viewpoints reveal? comparatively small. Yet employment can be potentially empowering, as it give
women a measure of economic independence. It thus deserves more attention.
The foregoing discussion illustrates how the interests of different stakeholders
Helping women gain access to productive work can also be more gender-
influence their opinions concerning the GAD ordinance and its budget. Local officials,
responsive, not only in terms of providing jobs but also in influencing companies
both in communities as well as in city hail, look with approval upon the fact that
and offices to institute nondiscriminatory policies. In addition, ' alternative
important women's concerns, such as health and education, have been met by the
employments to prostitution need to be more actively developed in the city.
GAD fund. The belief is strong that "all's well with the GAD budget Moreover, the
In the absence of the barangay GAD council, the participation of women in
programs fall in line with the city's main agenda.
community building is restricted to being service providers as health and
Gender advocates among NG05 and opposition members of the city council
nutrition workers.Women's voices need to be heard through measures that ensure
discount these gains as limited and inadequate to address significant gender
the participation of women's groups in barangay decisionmaking processes. Day
issues in Angeles City. They maintain that the GAD budget fails to address a full
care services are a welcome feature in communities. But training day care
gender agenda, especially because there was no consultative process to allocate
providers to encourage gender equality in the classroom and avoid gender
and release funds.
stereotypes in dealing with children would be value added to the strategy.
Using the women's equality and empowerment framework, these
The list of things to do can be extended. But againthese observations point
observations could be considered correct. Welfare programs and efforts to provide
to the critical need for a GAD agenda to be formulated in Angeles City. The agenda
women with access to services have certainly been put in place. Efforts to improve
can then provide the basis for programs that promote gender equality through
the visibility of women in the productive realm have been taken by way of
consciousness-raising, improving control, and empowerment.
scholarships, livelihood skills programs, and microcredit programs. Some efforts
at consciousness-raising have been implemented through gender sensitivity and The government has to seriously consider and review the adopted Women's
leadership training. Therefore, programs that improve gender equality through Development Agenda of the city drafted by the ACWCC, the city government itself,
and the civil society to commence its work in GAD mainstreaming.
welfare, access, and participation measures have been put in place. Even the issue
of prostitution has been addressed, though minimally, through the AIDS program
and pap smear examinations. These programs, however, have been existent even THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED:
prior the assumption to officeof the new administration. INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Despite these efforts, however, it is not evident that gender perspectives have ON GENDER MAINSTREAMING
guided the choice of programs. For instance, an educational strategy with a clear
The Philippines takes pride in the fact that it is one of the few nations in the
gender perspective would not be confined to providing scholarships. A more
developing world that has aggressively worked for the mainstreaming of gender
proactive measure would have been to retrain teachers on gender constructions
at all levels of governance. Over the past decade, it has promulgated and executed
in Philippine society so that they could socialize their students towards gender
laws and policies to define the mandate, logistics, and processes for integrating
equality. The city needs to give priority to the gender sensitization of its different
gender in development plans and programs. Like other social innovations,
constituencies.A training program for city hall and barangay officials is also an
however, birthing pains have beset gender mainstreaming in governance.
92 . GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE
This case study on Angeles City's GAD ordinance is the story of pioneering society, as well as of programs and services they want to offer inorderto realize
efforts to mainstream gender in local government. Thus, in the absence of a these visions. These plans are not always in consonance with those of gender
detailed map or role model, it is to be expected that there are bumps and road advocates. In fact, since the philosophy of GAD is a relatively new one, its features
blocks, even detours, on the way to realizing gender integration in a city's and goals are often unfamiliar to government officials. There is therefore a
programs. What this story provides are road signs and landmarks that can guide knowledge gap between NGOs who have lived and breathed GAD for many years
future travelers, both within the city and in other localities. and local government executives whose closest acquaintance with GAD is DBM
Memo Circular No. 28. Even if there is acceptance of the mandate for GAD,
politicians may wish to implement only those plans which are consistent with
The role of civil society
their own visions, and especially those that will strengthen support for themselves
Our story begins as the tale of women in civil society. It is they who took up rather than ones that may alienate important sectors of the constituency.
the challenge of the Philippine and international community to venture into GAD. Government is also hamstrung with accounting and auditing rules that slow
While there is a mandate for-local governments to undertake gender down the processes of accessing and providing programs and services. Funds
mainstreaming, the process has been painfully slow elsewhere in the country. are released only after submitting "basic documents". Certain allocations are
Always, there has been need for pressure and persuasion - either from national disallowed and some staff appointments cannot be granted. Oftentimes,
agencies, like NCRFW, or from NGOs like ACWCC to comply with mandatory reimbursements take a long time. Thus, a struggle ensues between the culture of
provisions. Part of the problem has been that local governments are unfamiliar bureaucracy and that of civil society which is used to less intricate rules for
with GAD, along with much of Philippine society. Angeles City is thus lucky to arriving at decisions and implementing its programs.
have among its constituency a group of women committed to improving the lives But the most critical lesson learned from the Angeles City case study is the
of women through GAD. Without the women's summits and the agenda that impact of partisan politics on gender mainstreaming. Given the present
emerged from these, this tale would not be told. allegiances of stakeholders of the GAD ordinance, the original staunch proponents
The tactics, adopted by the Angeles City NGOs are also worth mentioning. of the ordinance are now left out of decisionmaking processes. Unfortunately,
They constituted themselves into a multisectoral assembly to push for a common ACWCC is identified with the opposition party so that its position, too;has been
set of issues led by a gender advocate who is both from an NGO and working for diminished in the GAD council.
this agenda from within the local government. They relentlessly lobbied with Perhaps it is worth considering that advocacy of civil society should also
local executives for the GAD ordinance and budget that spelled out their vision include actively supporting present and future politicians who bear the agenda
and concerns. In other words, instead of trying to influence GAD through their
of new politics and GAD to bring new blood of reforms in governance.
separate efforts in communities and by providing services to smaller groups,
ACWCC seized the opportunity to work for women on a broader scale, the city
level. Participatory governance
The GAD ordinance is designed to be an example of how to govern through

Politics in local governance gender-responsive and consultative processes: It bases gender planning on a
partnership between government officials and agents of civil society. It describes
By entering the arena of local governance, civil society groups in Angeles how consultative mechanisms can lead to solutions to gender issues. This is , unlike
City have had to deal with local politics. Politicians have their own visions of other governance approaches that leave decisionmaking to government officials.


However, the consultative process has been delayed and is in danger of being welcome in communities reeling from the impacts of poverty. Without gender
derailed. To date, a GAD plan has not been formulated. This situation makes it
consciousness, urban poor communities will continue to prioritize welfare
difficult to describe the gender impacts of programs. There is no clear direction projects as their main concern. It is unlikely that issues of violence against women,
for GAD and no indicators to describe whether or not, and in what ways, particular
discrimination, and unjust subordination of women will surface. The political.
programs have advanced gender equality and women's empowerment. Two will of the city executive will play a great role in gender mainstreaming. Likewise,
questions thus arise. One, what administrative mechanism will best translate the role of civil society is challenged to face anew the advocacy for realizing a
the partnership between government and NGOs on GAD, so that partisan politics local government that is responsive to the needs of its constituency. The challenge
will not playa role in gender mainstreaming? Two, how can consultative processes to gender advocates, therefore, is to develop programs and approaches that will
be assured at all levels of development planning, in ways that promote bring together these overriding concerns: elimination of poverty and of all forms
sustainability of partnership? of discrimination against women.
One of the suggestions to answer these questions is to come up with It is quite unfortunate that the debate on gender mainstreaming at the city
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) that will provide for the administrative,
level did not transcend partisan politics. It did not even uplift the consciousness
consultative, and monitoring mechanism to mainstream gender and avoid the of key leaders in understanding their crucial role in its successful implementation.
influence of partisan politics. However, critics say that IRR emanate from the In the midst of these debates and partisan politics, the situation of women is
mayor through an executive order which might not also be free from partisan deeply aggravated. Every day, women endure the pain and suffering of the impact
politics. Their fear is if an ordinance which is legally binding is not fully of political and socioeconomic policies on globalization, poverty, the dire lack of
irhplemented, what more with mere IRR.
social services, the neglect for social well-being, the combined multiple burden
of the home and the workplace. The oppressive structures that nail women into
CAPACITY-BUILDING the backroom of underdevelopment cause their prolonged exploitation,
subordination, and oppression. These are the issues that GAD seeks to address
To be assured that GAD projects will be supported and implemented by key and eliminate, but the solutions remain elusive.
local officials and personnel, capacity-building through consciousness raising
should be prioritized. This is to let them understand the gender dynamics that
leads to gender discrimination and stereotypes and the oppression of women in
general. This will likewise enable them to participate more actively and effectively ACRONYMS
in the planning, budgeting, implementing, and monitoring of the GAD fund that
ACCWAC Angeles City Center for Women's Affairs and Concerns
will assure that its intended beneficiaries really gained from it.
ACWCC Angeles City Women's Coordinating Council
CDC Clark Development Corporation
Gender mainstreaming in the community
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
Criticisms leveled at the profile of budget and expenditures on GAD mean CSEZ Clark Special Economic Zone
little to many ordinary citizens in urban poor communities. Many consider it DBM Department of Budget and Management
helpful as a bridge fund to cover deficits in the budgets of barangays. Moreover, DCAC Development Council of Angeles City
health care, employment or livelihood programs, and welfare services are always
GAD gender and development


GEF Gender and Empowerment Fund

HEAL Women Health, Empowerment, Affirmation and Life Project ING MAKABABAYING AKSYON FOUNDATION, INC.
HES human and ecological security
IMA Ing Makababaying Aksyon Foundation (Mother, the Pro-Women The Ing Makababaying Aksyon (IMA) Foundation, Inc. is a regional
Action) institution for the empowerment of women, children survivors of gender-
IRA internal revenue allotment based violence, and other marginalized community women. It provides
IRR implementing rules and regulations services that develop, strengthen, and advocate for self-reliance and self-

KKKA Kapisanan para sa Kagalingan ng Kababaihan sa Angeles determination of women's organizations, groups, and individuals to address
(Organization for the Well-being of Women in Angeles) certain economic, political, and sociocultural structures that cause women's

NCRFW National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women vulnerability to exploitation, oppression, and subordination.

NGO nongovernmental organization

IMA has capability-building programs for community organizing, crisis
NUTRILINC Nutrition and Livelihood Resource Center, Inc.
intervention, education and training, research, information, advocacy, and
OFW overseas Filipino worker
networking.
PAGCOR Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
PNP Philippine National Police
P0 peoples' organization
PPGRD Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development
RA Republic Act
Us United States
WDRC Women's Development and Resource Center
WEDPRO Women's Education, Development, Productivity and Research
Organization -
REFERENCE
Longwe,S.H. 1990. From welfare to empowerment: the situation of women in development in
Africa.A post-UN Women's Decade update and future directions. Work. Pap. 204.Women
in International Development, Michigan State University, USA.

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How Much Really Goes to Women?

A Case Study on the GAD Budget

This paper tackles the following:

prostitution of women and children in Angeles City. The gathering forged a

GAD ORDINANCE OF ANGELES CITY

Figure 2. The GAD budget process.

GAD council: discussion of GAD

therefore, relates to raising awareness in the communities and among officials of

The GAD ordinance is designed to be an example of how to govern through

94 • GENDER BUDGET TRAIL: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE

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