Capacity-building Specialist Ms. Cecilia Iguiron-Fantastico leads an interactive discussion with Climate Change Commission’s (CCC) Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System members and staff during the GAD Agenda Workshop at Miriam College.

QUEZON CITY, Metro Manila — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) convened its Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System members and staff for a two-day GAD Agenda Workshop to strengthen institutional capacity in gender mainstreaming, ensuring climate programs, policies, and strategies are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the differentiated impacts of climate change.

The workshop, facilitated by Ms. Cecilia Iguiron-Fantastico, Capacity-building Specialist of Miriam College’s Women and Gender Institute, marked the first leg of a five-day capacity-building seminar series that will conclude in the second week of March.

Over the two days, participants engaged in technical sessions and collaborative planning exercises designed to equip them with the skills necessary to craft and update the Commission’s GAD Strategic Framework.

CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera underscored in her welcome remarks that gender mainstreaming is not an added task, but a core responsibility of climate governance. “This workshop is our opportunity to be deliberate and collective in ensuring that CCC’s programs, policies, and partnerships are truly gender-responsive and inclusive, especially of children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups,” she said.

Herrera emphasized that people must remain at the center of climate action, not only as beneficiaries of support, but as partners with knowledge and capacity to shape solutions. She further highlighted that a strong GAD Agenda and Strategic Plan must be grounded in evidence. “Without sex- and age-disaggregated data, we end up guessing, and governance cannot afford guesswork especially in climate action.”

Drawing from CCC’s earlier GAD initiatives, Herrera pointed out that one of the agency’s key lessons was the need to strengthen data systems and institutional habits to ensure gender considerations are consistently integrated from planning to monitoring and evaluation.

This initiative supports the broader direction of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), in line with the climate resilience and inclusive development priorities of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Administration. The NAP underscores the importance of applying a gender lens in climate adaptation planning, recognizing that women, girls, and gender-diverse groups often face disproportionate climate risk. It calls for inclusive and participatory approaches that reflect diverse experiences and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, strengthening gender-responsive governance ensures that adaptation strategies are more effective, sustainable, and socially just.

Meanwhile, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje shared that gender-responsive climate action response strengthens the very foundation of resilience.

“Gender-responsive approaches fortify the analytical and institutional foundations of adaptation planning,” Borje pointed out. “By having an equal representation and systematically considering various vulnerabilities and capacities, we are able to design adaptation strategies that are aligned with principles of equity and inclusion. This also ensures that climate actions are not only environmentally sound, but also development-effective and sustainable over the long term.”

The remaining session of the seminar series will further deepen technical knowledge and translate gender commitments into actionable, measurable strategies, strengthening the Commission’s ability to deliver inclusive, data-driven, and people-centered climate action.

For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.