𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃, 𝐏𝐂𝐖 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐆𝐀𝐃𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐌𝐒𝐔

In line with the shared commitment to advancing gender-responsive governance in higher education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) conducted a two-day 2026 GADTimpala on-site validation visit at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Batac City, Ilocos Norte on July 21–22, 2026.

The two-day activity formally opened with welcome messages from Dr. Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr., MMSU President, and Atty. Ma. Sophia Isabella P. De Castro, Chief GAD Specialist and OIC Deputy Executive Director for Management Operations of the PCW.

The validation team was composed of Ms. Jocelyn B. Balanag and Ms. Sol Theresa L. Logo from the CHED Central Office, together with Mr. Armando G. Orcilla Jr., Ms. Gabrielle Dane V. Marigondon, and Ms. Marie Hannah Nichol M. Narag from the Philippine Commission on Women.

Meanwhile, Ms. Dianne Joyce B. Montemayor-Rivera represented CHED Regional Office I as an official observer, underscoring the continued collaboration between CHED and PCW in promoting excellence in Gender and Development (GAD) implementation among higher education institutions.

Following a series of assessment activities, the GADTimpala Validation Team evaluated MMSU’s GAD initiatives through compliance with CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 01, s. 2015 Checklist, focus group discussions (FGDs) with GAD project beneficiaries, and on-site validation of the University’s institutional GAD mechanisms and systems, as well as its gender-responsive curriculum, research, and extension programs.

The assessment also included the review of MMSU’s institutional GAD accomplishments and its Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework (GMEF).

The MMSU validation forms part of the continuing CHED-PCW initiative to recognize and promote exemplary Gender and Development programs among State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

Prior to the visit at MMSU, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) and Pangasinan State University (PSU) likewise underwent 2026 GADTimpala validation visits on June 2–4, 2026, reinforcing the national effort to institutionalize gender-responsive policies and practices across Philippine higher education institutions.

Photo Courtesy of MMSU Stratcom

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