Known as Asia’s Latin City, Zamboanga City is strategically nestled in the southern part of Zamboanga Peninsula and serves as the region’s financial and commercial capital. Categorized as a highly urbanized city, it has a total land area of 145,327.02 Hectares and is home to almost 900,000 residents.
In 2013, through the leadership of Mayor Beng Climaco, the City passed its first ever Gender and Development (GAD) Code. The GAD Code laid down the city’s laws and ordinances promoting gender equality. Gender is being manifested as among the city’s priority agenda through succeeding initiatives in updating the Code in 2016. The following year, Mayor Climaco issued an executive order supporting the establishment of Zamboanga City’s GAD Focal Point System (GFPS). This 2019, the executive committee and technical working group of the city’s GFPS were recently reconstituted to further respond to mainstreaming GAD into the city’s strategies and programs.
While still considered to be at its infancy stage, the city GAD office, managed by Ms. Rosalie A. Molina-Aquino was already able to conduct GAD-related activities at the organization-level. Just this year, their office has partnered with the City Human Resources Management Office in injecting a gender sensitivity orientation during the conduct of city orientation of newly-hired and promoted government employees. Apart from this, other city departments were also implementing programs, projects, and activities which contribute to achieving gender equality in the city.
The visit of the members of the League of Cities of the Philippines Secretariat is part of the validation exercise of its project titled ‘Promoting Gender and Development (GAD) Advocacy in Philippine Cities through Establishment and Strengthening of GAD Focal Point System (GFPS).’ The project is made possible by the Government of Canada through its Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.