01/09/2026
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August 26โ28, 2026 | DCCCO Hotel, Dumaguete City
From August 26โ28, 2026, 25 participants from 11 NATCCO Network member-cooperatives gathered at DCCCO Hotel, Dumaguete City for a three-day workshop on gender mainstreaming, facilitated by ๐ ๐. ๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐. ๐ก๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฝ๐ถ, OICโAdvocacy Unit of the Cooperative Academy of NATCCO Network. The workshop brought together different experiences and perspectives on building more gender-responsive and inclusive cooperatives.
Joining the workshop were participants from BAAO Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative, DCCCO Multipurpose Cooperative, Kabankalan Ilog Teachers Employees Multi Purpose Cooperative (KITEMPCO), Mandaue City Public Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAVENCO), Online Microsellers Multipurpose Cooperative (OMSMPC), Oro Integrated Cooperative (OIC), Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Sta. Ana Multipurpose Cooperative (SAMULCO), Tabuk Multipurpose Cooperative (TAMPCO), Tagum Cooperative, and Tam-an Banaue Multipurpose Cooperative.
The workshop opened with remarks from ๐ ๐. ๐ ๐ฎ. ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป, GAD Chairperson of NATCCO Network from Online Microsellers Multipurpose Cooperative (OMSMPC), setting the tone for three days of meaningful discussions and activities.
The first day also marked the launch of the Gender Mainstreaming Manual, written by the late ๐ ๐. ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ผ๐. Copies of the manual were presented to Oro Integrated Cooperative, Tagum Cooperative, and DCCCO Multipurpose Cooperative in recognition of their contributions to its development.
From there, the workshop moved beyond concepts and into experiences. Through interactive activities and discussions, participants explored how gender blindness, gaps in data, resource allocation, and barriers to participation can affect the way cooperatives operate. The activities encouraged participants to reflect on these realities and consider how they can be addressed within their own organizations.
Day 2 brought the conversation closer to everyday experiences. One of the most engaging moments was the ๐ฎ๐ฐ-๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ, where participants connected their daily routines and experiences with the realities of men and women. Through shared stories and reflections, they saw how gender roles, responsibilities, and expectations can create real-world operational blocks that affect participation, opportunities, and inclusion.
The discussions also emphasized that gender mainstreaming cannot stand alone. Policies, capable people, appropriate programs, resources, and genuine commitment must work together to turn GAD commitments into meaningful action.
On the final day, participants were challenged to look at governance and decision-making from a different perspective through the ๐๐๐ ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐. The activity highlighted how barriers in accessing resources, approvals, and opportunities can affect members, reinforcing the importance of responsive, inclusive, and gender-sensitive decision-making in cooperative governance.
The workshop concluded with the ๐๐ข๐ข๐ฃ-๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ต, where participants developed proposed programs for their respective cooperatives to address gender-related issues they identified. The activity served as a take-home plan, giving participants the opportunity to bring their learnings back to their cooperatives and translate them into concrete initiatives.
Over three days, the workshop became a space to question existing practices, recognize barriers, listen to different experiences, and envision cooperatives where everyone can participate, contribute, and thrive.
As participants returned to their respective cooperatives, they brought with them new perspectives, practical ideas, and a renewed commitment to advancing gender mainstreaming within their organizations.
๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐. ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง.
