CHAPTER I

ARTICLE I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 1. Title. This ordinance shall be known as” GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT CODE’ of the  Municipality of Miagao and shall hereinafter be referred to as the GAD CODE.

SECTION 2. Statement of Policy. The Code formulation is anchored on R.A No. 9262” Anti Violence against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, and the Constitution which emphasizes and preserves the different rights of the individuals or its citizenry. Several laws that may serve as bases of references are (R.A No. 7192. The Women in Nation- Building (WIN); (R.A.6725; An Act Strengthening the Prohibition on Discrimination against Women); (R.A 7877; The Anti- Sexual Harassment against Women); (R.A 9208; The Anti- Trafficking in Person of 2003); (R.A 7610; Special Protection of Children against Child Abuse and Exploitation and Discrimination Act.)                

The Local Government Unit adheres to the conviction that it is only by addressing the specific needs of men, women as well as their children, the elderly, the differently able persons, and the indigenous people, or being gender-responsive, that the quality of life is enhanced and fully enjoyed.

Based on this premise, the Local Government Unit adopts a policy direction to formulate programs and strategies, among others, that shall:

a.    The Local Government Unit shall heighten advocacy work on mainstreaming gender concerns in sectoral development plans, policies and programs.
b.    The Local Government Unit shall strengthen governmental and non-governmental partnership to maximize the effectiveness of the programs and services addressing gender and development concerns.
c.    The Local Government Unit shall sustain commitment to capacity building and women empowerment to increase numbers of women in decision and policy-making posts in the locality.
d.    The Local Government Unit shall provide gender-responsiveness, relief and rehabilitation programs with special focus on the needs of women, senior citizens, children and differently able persons.
e.    The Local Government Unit shall encourage, support and expand the participation of women in the planning implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programs and projects.
f.    The Local Government Unit shall establish a cooperative or multi-purpose in different organization that will cater to and mitigate the financial as well as economic problems of the members as poverty alleviation strategy.