CEDAW/C/PHI/4 English Page 21 Institutional developments Strengthening of NCRFW 22. Because concerns of women are growing, Executive Order 268 (amending Order 208, dated 10 October 1994) was issued on 1 August 1995 to redefine the composition, powers and functions of NCRFW. Essentially, this Order strengthens the mandate of NCRFW to ensure gender mainstreaming in government, redefines the composition of its Board of Commissioners to include selected Cabinet Secretaries as ex officio members, and defines a limited organizational expansion. Moreover, a Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) bill has been filed in the current session of Congress to further strengthen the Commission to enable it to access more resources for its operations. 23. As the chief adviser to the President with respect to women's concerns, NCRFW meets with him on a quarterly basis to update him on issues related to priority women's concerns and on the status of the overall programme for gender and development in general. The women in development/gender and development focal points 24. To facilitate mainstreaming of women's and gender concerns in the bureaucracy, the establishment of women in development/gender and development focal points has been accelerated. There was also pilot-testing of model inter-agency focal points at the regional and local government levels in selected geographical areas. Sectoral inter-agency mechanisms to coordinate initiatives directed towards common sectoral goals, i.e. Women Advancing Government Action for Shelter (WAGAS), Women in Science and Technology Development Foundation (WSTDF) and the Department of Agrarian Reform Ladies Association (DARLA) contributed to the advancement of women in development/gender and development initiatives in their respective agencies. Quick response mechanisms for specific issues 25. To respond to specific issues, such as violence against women, various mechanisms have been introduced by the Government. As a result of the furore over the execution of Flor Contemplacion, a Filipina overseas contract worker in Singapore accused of double murder, Executive Order 231 was issued on 20 March 1995 creating the Gancayco Commission, a presidential fact-finding and policy advisory body to investigate the matter. The Commission was specifically tasked to (1) determine particular and general facts and circumstances involving the policies and actions of the Philippine Government in relation to the protection of overseas Filipinos, particularly cases in which the worker faces charges or has been convicted; and (2) make recommendations for improving the workers' protection consonant with international conventions and standards. The Executive Director of NCRFW was part of the crucial Fact-Finding Commission that advised the President and the Cabinet on the Flor Contemplacion case. Another body, the Assistance to Nationals Committee, was convened composed of multi-agency representation (which includes NCRFW) to ensure a more efficient assistance mechanism for overseas contract workers in problematic situations. /...