GENDER FOCUS — Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Person Shalini B. Plawan shares the importance of “Gender Responsive Policy-Making and Budgeting” workshop for the BTA Parliament. (GALao with photo by ZSDiolanan)

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament in coordination with the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) successfully concluded today, August 5, 2020 the “Gender Responsive Policy-Making and Budgeting” workshop for representatives of the Members of Parliament (MPs) held at Pagana Kutawato Native Restaurant, this city.

Shalini B. Plawan, BTA Parliament’s Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Person, said the two-day activity was made possible through the Office of the Speaker.

Plawan shared the workshop aims to raise awareness, understanding, and appreciation of gender responsive policy-making and budgeting.

“It involves drafting of GAD Plan and Budget (GBP) of the BTA Parliament,” Plawan said.

In her message, Member of Parliament (MP) Hadja Bainon G. Karon, who also chairs the BWC, said the activity is in line with the preparation for the submission of the 2021 proposed budget.

“It is budget season. Within this month of August, all ministries, offices and agencies will have to submit their respective budget proposals for 2021. One important component of our budget proposal is the mandatory Gender and Development (GAD) Plan and Budget or GPB which is set, by law, at 5% minimum of every agency’s total annual allocation,” MP Karon said.

The lady MP emphasized the BWC is among the endorsing authorities for the 2021 budget of all ministries, offices and agencies, with respect to the 5% GAD budget.

“The GAD plan and budget of the BTA Parliament will be reviewed by our commission. If the plan will pass the review, the commission will endorse it for approval of the Honorable Speaker. Without the commission’s endorsement of the GPB, the 2021 budget will not be approved,” she stressed.

Helen Rojas, resource speaker and Chief of Staff of the Office of MP Karon expressed the relevance of the activity following the Magna Carta of Women which provides for the implementation of programs to address gender inequities.

“One example of gender inequities is the access of men and women in resources and opportunities most especially in work-places and organizations. Sometimes there are instances that one certain group gets more access and opportunities. We need to address that specially in a work-place, where resources and opportunities should be equal and equally distributed to both men and women,” Rojas stressed.

For the BTA Parliament, Rojas noted that the lady Members of the Parliament are “GAD champions”.

Meanwhile, MP Karon specifically thank the office of the Speaker, through Ms. Plawan, and to the office of the Secretary General for organizing the workshop.

“We can clearly see that the leadership of the Parliament is taking this process seriously. To the participants, we do not expect you to master the process, given that this is only a two-day activity. However, rest assured that we will continuously assist you all throughout. Our technical staff will coach and mentor you from planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation to reporting of your accomplishments,” MP Karon said. (GALao, Publication and Media Division, BTA Parliament)