Manila: Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Thursday pledged to bolster the integration of gender considerations into fiscal policies to promote equality. "As your Budget Secretary, I commit to scaling up tracking and monitoring and to strengthening gender-responsive public financial management," Pangandaman said during the Official Development Assistance - Gender and Development (ODA-GAD) Network's meeting at the DBM central office in San Miguel, Manila.

According to Philippines News Agency, Pangandaman made the statement as she highlighted that government agencies continue to meet and even exceed the minimum requirement for the 5 percent allocation of their respective budgets for GAD projects and programs. She stated that public spending on initiatives aimed at empowering women becomes a 'lived outcome,' citing the success of gender and development tagging, the gender mainstreaming monitoring system, gender-sensitive procurement, and public expenditure and financial accountability assessment report.

Pangandaman added that there would also be a GAD accountability dashboard to track progress on transformative actions to advance gender equality. She stressed the importance of aligning systems, championing transparency, and listening to front-line workers and communities to enhance the government's gender responsiveness.

"In this regard, we are fortunate to have a leader like President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., whose steadfast support helps us advance inclusive, gender-responsive development so that every peso we steward delivers real safety, dignity, and opportunity for Filipinos, especially women and their families," Pangandaman said.

She further emphasized that the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security 2023-2033 underscore the critical importance of gender mainstreaming in achieving sustainable and inclusive development. Pangandaman called for a collective effort in improving gender-responsive budgeting, stating, "No single agency can do this. That is why we need you, we need each other. Together, we can move from five percent compliance to 100 percent impact."