CEDAW/C/PHL/7-8 8. With inclusive economic growth as its goal, the incumbent Aquino Administration (2010-2016) included as one of its commitments the promotion of equal gender opportunity in all spheres of public policies and programs. Accordingly, the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011 -2016 integrated gender equality as a cross-cutting concern such that all but one of its chapters included specific provisions along this end. As a companion document to the PDP and guide to agencies in the implementation of the MCW, the Women’s Empowerment, Development and Gender Equality Plan (Women’s EDGE Plan) 2013-2016 was formulated, and is now being implemented through the gender and development planning process in national and local government. 9. The State Party, through the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), continues its advocacy and monitoring of national and local development processes to implement the Convention. It also provides technical assistance to both national and local government units on gender mainstreaming and monitors programs through the gender and development planning and strengthened reporting process. 10. The State Party achieved good standing in global indicators on gender equality. It ranked 5th on the Global Gender Gap Index of the 2013 World Economic Forum and 12th of 86 countries in the 2012 Social Institutions and Gender Index of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). On the other hand, out of the 186 countries included in the 2013 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the State Party ranked 114th in the Human Development Index and 77th in the Gender Inequality Index, which measures reproductive health, empowerment and labour participation. 11. Progress made on human development was severely eroded by the series of calamities that occurred in different parts of the country in the past several years. Typhoons Ketsana (Ondoy), Washi (Sendong), Bopha (Pablo), Haiyan (Yolanda), among others, and the strong earthquakes in Bohol and Western Visayas wrought incalculable losses to life, livelihood and property. In November 2013, Haiyan (Yolanda) alone affected more than 14 million women and men, and ravaged huge areas of Luzon and Visayas. It came just when the country as still reeling from the destructive impact of the October 2013 Bohol earthquake. These even ts overstrained Philippine resources in responding to the devastation of communities and family livelihood and adversely affected women’s economic welfare, health and security and stability. Major policy and program developments in response to the concluding comments of the CEDAW committee on the combined 5th and 6th Philippine periodic reports On the status of the Convention in the national legal system 12. The MCW was signed into law on 14 August 2009 and is considered as the translation of the CEDAW into the nation’s legal system. It defines discrimination against women accordance with Article 1 of the Convention and cites specific acts of discrimination by law, policy or practice including discrimination compounded by intersecting grounds. 13. The MCW embodies the various provisions of CEDAW and mandates the concerned duty bearers to carry out these provisions, including the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP) as the Gender Ombud responsible for investigating violations of the law. The law also provides the mechanisms for its 15-03079 3/36