“We need to empower our women and the marginalized sectors and make them advocates “Magna Carta of Women”. As we all know, there are women who are being abused, violated and disrespected. We want to protect them by teaching them their basic rights as women.” Alejandra B. Lagumbay, Gender and Development Coordinator of DepEd Region 8 underscored the importance of conducting professional development program that will help the marginalized sectors especially women who are vulnerable to violence recognize their basic human rights. “The way to end violence against women is to ensure full implementation of RA 9710 (Magna Carta of Women). Our goal is to promote equality, empower our women and recognize their role in the society,” Lagumbay added.

The Capability Building Program on RA 9710 is conducted annually in two batches. Participants are DepEd employees from the division and region level. The objectives of the program is to recognize, promote and respect the rights of women as defined and guaranteed under this Act. It also aims to identify strategies for implementing Magna Carta of Women. Recently, DepEd RO 8 has conducted CB on RA 9710 to DepEd employees in Observance of the 18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women. Eighty (80) participants were capacitated during the first and second batches of Training conducted from December 7-11, 2015 in Tacloban City. “We hope that our participants would be able to cascade the same training to the division level and advocate the same in their communities.

Let us be one in promoting justice. Let us all be envoys of Magna Carta of Women so that inequalities and injustices will end,” Dr. Susana Acuin, training facilitator from HRDD, said. END