The CHED GAD Focal Committee conducted a GAD Webinar Series on 19-20 December 2022, via Zoom, that highlights on gender sensitivity, mental health awareness, gender-based sexual harassment, and CHED’s GAD mainstreaming policies and guidelines. As the Commission’s advocacy in fully implementing GAD in all higher education institutions in the country, it is imperative to orient its officials and employees on the basic GAD concepts and policies.

Following the approval of the CMO No. 3, Series of 2022 or the “Guidelines on Gender-Based Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Institutions” on February 2022, the CHED GAD Focal Committee conducted a series of orientations nationwide. The main objective of this rollout series is to orient and introduce all Philippine Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) the rules and provisions of RA 11313 or the “Safe Spaces Act” and to familiarize themselves with the localized guidelines in the context of higher education, which is the CMO No. 3, Series of 2022.

The first leg of orientation was conducted in La Union, spearheaded by the CHED Regional Office I in La Union on 27 April 2022. The second leg of the rollout was in Baguio City, as led by CHED Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on 29 April 2022.

The following rollout sessions were conducted through Island Groups (Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao), following the agreed resolution on the compliance of the GAD Focal Committee members’ respective schedules and logistical concerns.

The third session was for the Visayas Cluster, conducted in Bacolod City on 07 September 2022, as spearheaded by CHED Regional Office VI. Other regions, such as VII and VIII, were also present.

The fourth session of the rollout series was conducted in Davao City on 13 December 2022, as organized by CHED Regional Office XI. Other CHED Regional Offices such as 9, 10, 12, and CARAGA were also present.

The CHED GAD Focal Committee conducted an assembly of the CHED GAD Focal Persons on 17-18 November 2022 at La Union, as hosted by CHED Regional Office I. The objectives of this activity is to review the GAD accomplishment report of all CHED Regional Offices and to prepare the FY 2023 GAD Plan and Budget of the Commission. Dr. Helen Dayo, Member of the Technical Panel on Gender and Women Studies was invited as the resource speaker to help and guide the GAD Focal Persons in identifying the gender issues that are prevalent in the Commission and higher education institutions. An orientation was also given to all regional gad focal persons on the basic concepts of GAD and the technical aspects on the preparation of the GAD Plan and Budget