Gender and Development (GAD) Unit Head Sarah C. Aranges, MM, led the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) Orientation as part of the Research and Development, Extension, and Production (RDEP) Summit 2026 earlier today via Zoom.

The session formed part of the summit’s month-long lineup of activities, organized in line with the national observance of Innovation Month.

Moreover, the orientation aimed to strengthen institutional capacity to integrate gender perspectives into projects across all branches of Davao de Oro State College.

During the orientation, Aranges presented the HGDG as a standardized tool for mainstreaming gender considerations across all stages of project development—from identification and design to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

She guided participants through the application of the HGDG tool, including key criteria and scoring mechanisms for assessing the gender responsiveness of proposed initiatives.

Meanwhile, in his welcome message, Research and Development Division Director Jupite Mark U. Banayag, MSc, underscored the significance of the RDEP Summit as a platform for showcasing the College’s initiatives in research, extension, and production.

He noted that the summit brings together faculty, staff, industry partners, and stakeholders to present research outputs, extension projects, and income-generating initiatives while fostering collaboration with partner agencies.

Carrying the theme “Filipinnovation in Action: Advancing Responsive Research, Extension, and Production for Resilient and Sustainable Community Development in Davao de Oro,” the RDEP Summit 2026 will culminate on April 29, 2026, at the DdOSC Activity Center, featuring project presentations, partnership engagements, and institutional innovations.