PHILIPPINE COMMISSION ON WOMEN NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT JOINT CIRCULAR NO. 2012-01 TO: Heads of Executive Departments, Agencies, Bureaus, Offices, State Universities and Colleges, Government Owned and/or Controlled Corporations, Legislative and Judiciary Branches, Constitutional Bodies, Other Government Instrumentalities and All Others Concerned SUBJECT: Guidelines for the Preparation of Annual Gender and Development (GAD) Plans and Budgets and Accomplishment Reports to Implement the Magna Carta of Women 1.0 PURPOSE 1.1 To prescribe guidelines and procedures for the formulation, development, submission, implementation, monitoring and evaluation including accounting of results of agency annual GAD plans and budgets (GPBs), and GAD accomplishment reports (AR); and 1.2 To provide the mechanics for the development of programs, activities and projects (PAPs) to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of women at the socio-cultural, economic and political spheres. 2.0 POLICY GUIDELINES 2.1 The Philippine Constitution recognizes the fundamental equality before the law of women and men. The Magna Carta of Women (MCW) or RA 9710 and other laws enshrine this policy. The Philippines also subscribes to the provisions of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and similar international conventions and commitments. 2.2 Executive Order (EO) No. 273 (Approving and Adopting the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development [PPGD 1995-2025]) mandates agencies to incorporate and reflect GAD concerns in their agency performance commitment contracts, annual budget proposals, and work and financial plans 1