The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that it has organized a forum on gender and development (GAD) with the Philippine Institute of Civil engineers (PICE) and Road Engineers Association of the Philippines (REAP). Entitled “Women Paved the Way for Gender and Development”, the event was part of the National Women’s Month celebration. As chairperson of the DPWH Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS), DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral shared how the department’s GAD Toolkit serves as the guide in the implementation of gender-responsive initiatives, programs, and infrastructure facilities that are beneficial to all Filipinos nationwide. The DPWH which was the recipient of the prestigious GADTimpala Award in 2018 has pioneered the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (TIP) safeguards and incorporated GAD in all infrastructure project cycle, starting from planning, design, construction, and maintenance stages. “By imparting our knowledge in our chosen field to promote women empowerment, may this activity serve as an eye-opener in developing mechanisms toward achieving better gender equality results,” Cabral said. “The forum was participated by Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Atty. Persida V. Acosta, Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine B. Roman, DPWH-Public Private Partnership (PPP) Service Director Alex G. Bote, and guest speakers from PICE Inter-Specialty Group Committee, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women – Asia Pacific, Philippine National Police (PNP) – Human Resource Development Doctrine, and Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD),’’ the DPWH noted. Earlier, the DPWH stressed that it joined other global sectors in the celebration of the International Women’s Day as the event “focuses on the recurring theme for 2023-2028, “WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society.’’ Cabral stated the observance of the International Women’s Day aims to further advance women’s rights, inclusivity, social transformation and poverty reduction by providing equal opportunities to all Filipinos. With the engineering profession known in the past as a male-dominant domain, the DPWH under Secretary Manuel Bonoan has made it clear that gender has nothing to do with qualified personnel going up in the promotional ladder. Many female personnel in the DPWH have long occupied sensitive positions including the posts of regional directors and district engineers. To name a few the DPWH National Capital Region (NCR) is Loreta Malaluan with Juby Cordon as her assistant. Other women occupying high posts in the DPWH include District Engineers Loida Busa, Ruby Canlas, Marlyn Garma-Inguillo, Maribel Navarro, Sonia Paglicauan, Carolina Pastrana, Corazon Cabatbat, Daisy Toledo among others.