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Women leaders and stakeholders in agriculture and fisheries came together in Tagaytay City on September 22–24 for the 2026 Women’s Dialogue, using the spirit of the babaylan to examine the challenges women face and identify ways to strengthen their participation and leadership in the sector.

The three-day activity, organized by the PCAF Gender and Development Focal Point System (GAD-FPS), brought together representatives from PCAF’s Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs), National Sectoral Committees (NSCs), government, civil society, academe, and the private sector. DA Undersecretary for High Value Crops Cheryl Natividad-Caballero and PCAF Executive Director Bernadette B. De Los Santos also joined the discussions.

With the theme “Lead Like the Babaylan: Inspiring Women, Transforming Agriculture and Fisheries Communities,” the dialogue looked at women’s contributions, the barriers that continue to limit their participation, and the practical steps that institutions and stakeholders can take to address them.

Awakening the Babaylan

PCAF Planning, Monitoring and Knowledge Management Division Chief and GAD-FPS Vice Chairperson Floreliz Avellana emphasized that the strength, wisdom, and leadership associated with the babaylan continue to exist among women today.

She described the babaylan not simply as a historical figure, but as a symbol of the knowledge, courage, compassion, and leadership that women continue to bring to their communities.

“Hindi nawawala ang babaylan, natutulog lang siya sa dugo natin, naghihintay gisingin,” Avellana said.

PCAF Partnership Development Division Chief Catherine Viray presented the rationale of the activity, noting that while women make significant contributions to agriculture and fisheries, their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives are not always equally visible in leadership and decision-making spaces.

From participation to action

De Los Santos, who also chairs the PCAF GAD-FPS, highlighted the babaylan as a keeper of knowledge, mediator, and community leader who brought people together and contributed to community well-being.

She recognized the barriers many women continue to face in accessing resources and opportunities. She emphasized the need for responsive institutions and gender-responsive systems that provide equitable opportunities for women to participate and lead.

De Los Santos encouraged participants to translate the dialogue into continuing GAD initiatives, knowledge exchange, stronger partnerships, and sustained opportunities for women farmers and fisherfolk.

Undersecretary Caballero highlighted women as community builders, citing the experiences of the Rural Improvement Clubs and Gulayan sa Bayan initiatives. She also discussed the economic contribution of women and the importance of government support mechanisms in sustaining gender-responsive interventions. She suggested developing a policy checklist or similar mechanism to help ensure that gender mainstreaming is consistently integrated into interventions and programs.

Learning, confronting barriers, and building solutions

Resource persons Pacita Juan, Chairperson of the Philippine Coffee Board and regular member of the PCAF National Sectoral Committee on Coffee, and Atty. Anna Liza Mones of the Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Ligal provided perspectives on women’s contributions and the barriers affecting their participation.

Juan highlighted women’s experiential knowledge in agricultural work and encouraged participants to maximize government programs and services. Mones discussed gender-based barriers including marginalization, subordination, stereotyping, multiple burdens, harmful norms, and violence against women, as well as legal and policy mechanisms protecting women’s rights, including the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710) and GAD Focal Point Systems.

On the second day, participants examined the experiences of marginalized or “unheard” women, including smallholder farmers, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, farmers in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, solo parents, and women-led organizations. Through legislative theater, they also dramatized real-life situations illustrating gender-based barriers and explored possible responses.

The discussions generated recommendations for PCAF and its partners focused on five key areas:

  • Stronger institutional support: Prioritize women-led FCAs in government support programs and develop policy checklists to strengthen GAD mainstreaming and budget allocation.
  • Inclusive leadership: Establish safe-space and meeting protocols within AFCs and create mentorship opportunities for women leaders and newly appointed council members.
  • Gender-responsive technology: Advocate for ergonomically designed agricultural and fishery tools and more equitable access to machinery for women farmers and enterprises.
  • Economic empowerment: Expand access to seed funding, inputs, enterprise support, technical training, value-adding opportunities, and formal markets for women-led agri-enterprises.
  • Better data and capacity development: Promote sex-disaggregated data in agricultural registries and regular GAD and gender-analysis training for PCAF personnel and AFC representatives.

The recommendations will be endorsed to the PCAF Committee on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion for consideration as policy resolutions. These include a recommendation for DA implementing units to regulate the “big brother-small brother” scheme to prevent established cooperatives from abusing or excluding small and new organizations.

At the close of the activity, De Los Santos congratulated the participants and encouraged them to continue supporting and advocating for the GAD agenda.

The 2026 Women’s Dialogue reinforced that the spirit of the babaylan is not confined to history. It continues through women who use their knowledge, courage, and leadership to serve their communities—and through institutions and partners committed to creating spaces where women can meaningfully participate and lead.