Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU undergoes CHED, PCW validation for prestigious GADtimpala eligibility

By Ryand Angelo Ugalde
 

Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) is a step closer to being recognized for the highly-acclaimed GADtimpala award after going through a series of evaluations, led by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine Commission on Women on July 21 and 22, at the Center for Flexible Learning.

The said award is given to government agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs), and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) as a recognition of their outstanding performance integrating gender equality efforts into their mandates, policies, and projects.

Following a series of tedious processes, the GADtimpala validation team implemented various mechanisms in checking different categories, including the university’s compliance with CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) no. 01, s. 2015 Checklist, Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with GAD-project beneficiaries, and an on-site validation of institutional GAD Mechanisms and Systems and Gender-Responsive Curriculum, and Research, and Extension Program.

University President Dr. Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr expressed his appreciation to PCW, CHED, and the MMSU Gender and Development (GAD) Directorate, led by Ms. Nataliza L. Llapitan, for continuously improving the university’s gender equality efforts.

“We, at the university,, will make sure the principle of leaving no one behind transcends in our endeavors towards making MMSU a safe space for everyone, regardless of gender,” Dr. Manzano assured.

The validation group also assessed the Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework (GMEF) to further verify MMSU’s efforts in complying with gender and development mandates.

The Philippine Commission on Women bestowed the GADtimpala Silver Award for Outstanding GAD Focal Point System (GADtimpala AlaGAD) upon MMSU and its specialized Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS). This esteemed accolade was formally presented to the institution on August 14, 2023, during a ceremony held in Taguig City.