In the heart of the government sector, there exists a dedicated woman whose fervor for gender equality and development reverberates in her actions. Meet Dr. Teresita A. Tabaog, a dynamic civil servant whose journey is as inspiring as it is impactful.

Her passion for gender and development blossomed when she was assigned as the Gender and Development (GAD) focal person of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 02 in March 2016, when she was still the provincial director of DOST-Cagayan. 

Being a GAD focal person at that time was supposed to be a designation at the regional office.  However, her previous leadership engagements with various women entrepreneurs in Cagayan caught the attention of the then Regional Director Urdujah Alvarado to entrust to her the agency’s GAD programs. 

In 2020, DOST-2 was awarded 3rd place in the DOST-WIDE GAD Mainstreaming Awards, while the region was adjudged 2nd place in 2022 in the same award system as the entire DOST. All of these were credited to her unparalleled gender mainstreaming efforts in the regional office with the support of her entire DOST-2 family, especially the top-level management.

She was also recognized for her leadership in the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) - Government of Canada Philippines Women Micro Entrepreneurs Project.

The PCW also recognized her as a National GAD expert, a member of the National Gender Resource Pool, and bestowed her the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Award in 2022.

Women in S&T

As a public servant in the science and technology industry, she led the conduct of the Women Economic Empowerment Summit, the WE Care Forum, and the Orientation on Mental Health for Women Micro-Entrepreneurs (WMEs).

Dr. Tabaog also led S&T services to WMEs of the WEE program, such as the provision of common supplies during the pandemic, the provision of laboratory tests for processed products of WMEs, Facebook Ads Boosting to increase sales of WMEs, the conduct of online seminars for WMEs, influencing PCW to give modems to WMEs during the pandemic, and influencing PCW to distribute processing paraphernalia to WMEs.

She also led the pitching exercises for WMEs to boost their self-confidence in marketing and uploading their products to DOST’s OneSTORE, an e-commerce platform.

With her leadership and technical interventions in the implementation of the WEE Program, four WMEs engaged with DOST for the transfer and commercialization of NUTRIBUN, and these MSMEs directly engaged with DepEd and DSWD for the agencies’ nutrition projects.

“The engagements resulted in high profits, hence empowering them economically, which produced a positive influence on their respective families and communities,” she said.

Beyond DOST

Dr. Tabaog’s impact extends far beyond the confines of her office. She actively engages with civil society organizations, academe, and international agencies to leverage partnerships for advancing gender equality. Her collaborative efforts have resulted in the implementation of innovative projects aimed at promoting women's economic empowerment, enhancing access to education, and combating gender-based violence.

This was very evident when the DOST was elected as the chair of the Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) in Cagayan Valley, where she used to represent the agency during business meetings and various activities.

Beyond policy formulation, she is a vocal advocate for gender mainstreaming within government institutions. She initiated training programs to sensitize her colleagues about the importance of gender equality and provided tools to integrate these principles into their daily work. Through her unwavering dedication, she fostered a culture of inclusivity and gender responsiveness within the bureaucracy.

Recognizing the power of data in driving evidence-based policy, Dr. Tabaog championed the collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data. By illuminating the existing disparities, she empowered policymakers with the insights needed to design targeted interventions that address root causes and foster sustainable change.

She initiated the implementation of the Outstanding GAD Champion of Cagayan Valley (O-GAD Champion) and the creation of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Women Economic Empowerment, the TWG for Admission and Review of RGADC Membership, and the TWG for Regional GAD Knowledge and Management.

She also led the establishment of the Regional GAD Research and Learning Center.

Among the resolutions she introduced and eventually approved by the Regional Development Council (RDC) is RDC2 Resolution No. 02-22-2019, which requires regional line agencies, LGUS, SUCs, and other government instrumentalities in the region to mainstream GAD in their respective flagship programs and projects.

A resolution also enjoining local government units, regional line agencies, and other government instruments to support the products of women microentrepreneurs (WMEs), enrolled under the Philippine Commission on Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) Convergence Project, was approved by RDC.

Among the major accomplishments of Dr. Tabaog leading the RGADC is a resolution approving and adopting the Regional Gender and Development (GAD) Agenda 2023–2028. She was instrumental in the finalization of the GAD agenda, where she served as a resource speaker, RGADC-2 presiding officer, and workshop facilitator for many sessions.

 Harvesting gains

Under the leadership of Dr. Tabaog in RGADC, the endorsements of PCW in Region 02’s GAD Plans and Budget and GAD Accomplishment Report from various agencies increased from 20% in 2019 to 80% in 2023.

The agency members of the RGADC-2 increased from 10 to 33, and there is a significant increase in the permanent attendance or participation of focal persons.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Dr. Tabaog was honored with the prestigious Outstanding GAD Champion (Gawad AlaGAD Award) by PCW in 2023. The PCW also conferred the GADchievement Award (AlaGAD ng Pagpapatupad) and Gender-Inclusive Regional Development Plan Award (AlaGAD ng Pagpaplano) to the Cagayan Valley RDC and the GAD Recognition System Award (AlaGAD ng Pagkilala) to the RGADC.

Her resilience and unwavering commitment to her cause serve as an example for those striving for a more equitable society. Through her tireless efforts, she continues to pave the way for a future where gender equality is not merely an aspiration but a reality.

For Dr. Tabaog, who now serves as the regional director of DOST in Region 1, the true reward lies in the transformative impact her work has on the lives of millions, as she continues to champion the cause of gender equality and development with unwavering passion and dedication. (OTB/ALM/MDCT/PIA Cagayan)