The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) continues to strengthen its commitment to gender-responsive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla formally renewed PCW’s membership in the TESDA Women’s Center (TWC) Center Advisory Council (CAC), representing the government sector.
The oath-taking was held during the “2025 GAD Awards sa TVET” Awarding Ceremony on September 1, 2026, held at TESDA Multi-Purpose Gym, TESDA Complex, East Service Road, Taguig City. TESDA Secretary Hon. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez officiated the oath-taking ceremony of the former and newly appointed members of CAC.
By renewing its membership, PCW reaffirmed its role in CAC and its commitment to supporting programs that advance women’s empowerment, promote equal participation, and strengthen gender equality in the TVET sector.
For PCW, the renewal further reflects its commitment to advancing gender-responsive TVET and creating more opportunities for women to participate and thrive in TVET. It also highlights PCW’s continued support for TESDA’s programs, policies, and initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive and gender-responsive TVET.
The CAC was established in 1999 under the leadership of then-Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani and was reactivated in 2018 through the efforts of Deputy Director General Rosanna A. Urdaneta’ to further promote women’s empowerment in TVET. This initiative eventually paved the way for the institutionalization of advisory councils across all TESDA Technology Institutions.
The oath-taking also marked another significant milestone with the recognition of exemplary gender and development (GAD) initiatives through the first “GAD Awards sa TVET”.
During the event, the TESDA Women’s Center recognized PCW as one of its long-standing industry partners representing the government sector, acknowledging its contributions to advancing gender and development, promoting gender equality and gender-responsive initiatives in TVET, and sustaining efforts toward gender mainstreaming.
For many years, PCW has worked closely with TESDA in strengthening its gender mainstreaming by providing technical guidance and supporting the development and recognition of gender-responsive policies, programs, and practices in TVET.
A recent milestone in this partnership is the development of the Gender-Responsive Assessment Tools for Evaluating Instructional Materials in Basic, Higher, and Technical-Vocational Education. The initiative began with the identification of gender issues and gaps in the TVET sector and progressed through the development of the assessment tool, culminating in its launch on June 23, 2026, together with other key implementing agencies in the education sector.
Building on this milestone, the PCW, through its Sectoral Coordination Division, conducted its first Training of Trainers on the Effective Use of the Gender-Responsive Assessment Tool for Evaluating Instructional Materials in Technical-Vocational Education from June 29 to July 1, 2026. The three-day training brought together Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS) members, curriculum developers, trainers, and other personnel involved in developing instructional materials from TESDA Regional Offices.
Through this continuing partnership, PCW and TESDA reaffirm their commitment to advancing gender-responsive and inclusive TVET, helping ensure that every learner has equal opportunities to acquire skills and pursue better livelihoods.
Through its Sectoral Coordination Division, PCW also served as an external validator for the first GAD Awards sa TVET, which recognized TESDA offices and personnel for their notable accomplishments and good practices in advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment, and gender-responsive TVET from 2023 to 2025.
The recognition received by the PCW, together with the renewal of its CAC membership, highlights the importance of the continuing PCW-TESDA partnership in developing and promoting gender-responsive policies, programs, and practices within the TVET sector. Moving forward, PCW remains committed to working with TESDA and its other partners to strengthen gender-responsive policies, programs, and opportunities that empower women and promote inclusive participation in TVET.
