The Commission on Higher Education Regional Office I (CHED R I) remains committed to promoting Gender and Development (GAD) in higher education through its participation in the 2026 GAD Transformation and Institutionalization through Mainstreaming of Programs, Agenda, Linkages, and Advocacies (GADTimpala) Validation, held on July 14–15, 2026 at the University of Rizal System (URS), Morong Campus, Rizal.

Dr. Ricky A. Cera , Supervising Administrative Officer (SAO) of CHED ROI, served as a Member of the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the GADTimpala Validation for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), working alongside representatives from the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), CHED, GAD experts, and partner higher education institutions.

During the two-day validation, the team reviewed documentary evidence, assessed the University’s GAD policies and initiatives, and conducted focused group discussions with university officials, faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

The team also met with officials from the Municipalities of Baras and Pililla, Rizal, who shared how URS’s GAD extension programs have positively impacted their communities and strengthened local gender-responsive initiatives.

The validation also included visits to URS’s gender-responsive facilities, such as its GAD Resource Center, Health and Wellness Center, Lactation Room, Child-Minding Facility, Office of Anti-Sexual Harassment, Counseling Room, and Gender-Neutral Comfort Room.

These facilities reflect the University’s ongoing efforts to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for everyone.

Through initiatives like GADTimpala, CHED ROI continues to support higher education institutions in building more inclusive, gender-responsive, and people-centered campuses where gender equality is not only a policy but a practice.

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