51³Ô¹ÏÍø

51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT GAD Center and CMO-GAD strengthen partnership with GAD Research Forum

by Kassandra Buenafe, OfCom, and Mary Marjorie Cañete, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT GADC Intern | Dec 09 2025

In a joint effort to strengthen the partnership in championing gender equality and nondiscrimination, the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT Gender and Development Center (GADC) and the City Mayor's Office–Gender and Development (CMO-GAD) held the 2025 Iligan City GAD Research Forum at the University Boardroom on December 4, 2025, convening the institute’s and the LGU’s GAD focal persons and members.  

With the theme, “Innovating for Inclusivity: Charting the Iligan City GAD Research Agenda through LGU-Academe Partnership,” this one-day event leveraged the policy implementation mandate of the CMO-GAD along with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT GAD Center and its academic units’ extension expertise.

Representing the University Chancellor and GFPS Head, Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan, Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs, Dr. Nancy Q. Echavez, delivered the welcoming remarks, emphasizing that the partnership between the two institutions ultimately builds a governance that “values equity, empowers community, and promotes sustainable development.”  

The morning session featured a series of enriching discussions led by distinguished speakers. Assoc. Prof. Yasmira Moner, GAD Center Focal Person, opened the session with her talk on “Bridging Research and Policy: The Role of Academe in Local GAD Governance.” She was followed by Al Azanereeh Madalae, CMO–GAD Division Chief, who delivered insights on “Accomplishments and Challenges of CMO–GAD.”Julita Bokingo, CMO–GAD Consultant, presented the findings of the “Training Needs Assessment of Key Women Leaders in Barangay-Based Women Associations in Iligan City, ‘23–’25.”Rounding off the morning session, Dr. Adelfa Silor, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT GAD TWG member, discussed the “Pedagogical Guide on Gender-Responsive Education.”

Together, their discussions underscored an overarching theme: that meaningful progress in gender and development is anchored in strong partnerships between academe, local government, and community stakeholders.

In the afternoon,  participants joined a design thinking workshop to chart the 2026–2028 Iligan City GAD Research and Community of Practice Agenda. They mapped priority gender issues in Iligan, including the industrial hub, the prevalence of VAWC and reproductive health concerns, the city’s disaster-prone context, and the roles of women in agriculture, with each group developing “How might we…” research questions and proposed projects.

Groups presented their outputs in a plenary session, surfacing proposed research topics and community-based projects that will shape the city’s GAD research agenda and community of practice.

The forum concluded with reflections from participants and organizers, affirming a shared commitment to bridge theory and practice so that research findings feed directly into local policies, ordinances, and programs. 

With CMO-GAD and the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT GAD Center moving forward together, stakeholders see the partnership as a promising model of evidence-based, inclusive gender governance for Iligan City.

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