The National Sectoral Committee on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (NSC on GESI) convened for its first-quarter meeting on February 24, 2025, through an online platform. The primary agenda of the meeting focused on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) efforts on gender equality and social inclusion, highlighting both the FY 2024 accomplishments and the planned activities for FY 2025.

Representing the DA-Gender and Development Focal Point System (DA-GAD FPS), Director Annray Rivera presented the key initiatives of the office for FY 2025. Building on the accomplishments of the previous year, the 2025 initiatives encompass gender mainstreaming, capacity-building, policy advocacy, and the provision of direct support to women, farmers, and fisherfolk.

“These initiatives have strengthened institutional capacities, expanded economic opportunities, and enhanced women’s access to resources and services in the sector. Looking ahead, our planned activities for 2025 aim to build on these accomplishments by further integrating gender-responsive strategies in agricultural policies and programs,” Dir. Rivera shared.

Director Rivera also presented the issue of child labor in the agriculture sector highlighting a decrease in child laborers from 1.48 million in 2022 to 1.10 million in 2023.

“This decrease may suggest an improvement in child labor policies, changes in economic conditions, or shifts in employment opportunities for families,” Dir. Rivera explained.

Laurenz Edward Catangay of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Council for the Welfare of Children (DSWD-CWC) discussed a potential solution to reduce child labor. He proposed the distribution of machinery and technological infrastructure to reduce the reliance on manual labor, including child labor, especially in regions with high child labor cases. 

Catangay also urged the committee members to help strengthen the reporting mechanisms for child labor cases and emphasized the importance of reaching out through the MAKABATA Helpline or CWC for appropriate action.

Other DA Offices that presented their FY 2024 Accomplishments and FY 2026 Planned Activities were the DA-Special Area for Agricultural Development and the DA-Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo.

Another major highlight of the meeting was the update on the progress of policy resolutions endorsed in 2024. The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) provided updates on several resolutions, including the recommendation for the DA Banner Programs, Bureaus, Attached Agencies, and Corporations to strengthen the involvement and promote the welfare of vulnerable sectors in agriculture in the DA commodity roadmaps. This recommendation also emphasized the integration of climate change adaptation and mitigation in the existing and future roadmaps.

NSC on GESI Chairperson Hazel Tanchuling, in her concurrent capacity as Chairperson of the PCAF NSC on Rice and Other Food Staples, fully supported this recommendation in the creation of the Rice Industry Roadmap, which was recently presented to the Office of the Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development.

Meanwhile, the DA-GESI Office endorsed a position paper to the Secretary, dated January 2, 2025, supporting the adoption of the resolution in other commodity industry roadmaps.

Likewise, BFAR announced that the study on Gender Dynamics in Fisheries and Aquaculture had been completed that could enhance gender data in the Fisherfolk Registration System.  The findings will be presented in the second-quarter meeting of the NSC on GESI.

Lastly, the DA adopted the NSC on GESI policy resolution recommending the merger of the DA-GAD FPS and the DA-GESI Office. DA Special Order No. 095, Series of 2025, designated the DA GESI Office as the Secretariat of the reconstituted DA-GAD FPS.

Dir. Rivera reassured the Committee members of the DA’s commitment to ensure the welfare of marginalized groups in the sector’s development. 

“We remain committed to ensuring that both women and men have equal opportunities to contribute and benefit from the development of the agriculture and fisheries sector,” she said. | Joy Camille Luza