In the misty uplands of Negros Occidental in the Philippines, women farmers carefully harvest ripe coffee cherries. Along the coast, women oyster growers tend to thrive in shellfish beds beneath bamboo rafts.
Though separated by landscape, these communities share a common thread: they are demonstrating how gender-responsive finance can support both livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.
At the center of this transformation is an often-overlooked financing mechanism, the Philippines’ Gender and Development (GAD) budget.
Unlocking an Untapped Source of Finance
Under national law, all government agencies in the Philippines are required to allocate at least 5 percent of their annual budgets to Gender and Development (GAD). In Negros Occidental alone, this represents approximately PHP 340 million in 2026.
Yet despite its scale, GAD funding has historically remained underutilized for environmental objectives.
Through collaboration between local government units (LGUs), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), this is beginning to change.
“Stewarding our natural resources requires substantial investments. GAD is a largely untapped resource for LGUs to promote both gender equity and biodiversity conservation,” explains UNDP-BIOFIN Philippines Project Manager Anabelle Plantilla. “LGUs across the country can use GAD to fund local projects that help women play greater roles in sustainable upland farming, fishing, and managing our vital ecosystems. GAD is an entry point to ensure that projects are climate-resilient, biodiversity-friendly, and gender equal.”
GAD is now positioned as a strategic entry point to align gender equality with biodiversity finance, enabling investments in sustainable livelihoods that benefit both people and nature.
Women Leading Sustainable Coffee Farming
High in the uplands of Sitio Tambara, the Tambara Forest Settlers Association, a women-led organization, has built a thriving model of sustainable agriculture.
With 14 women and eight men, the group cultivates coffee, cacao, cinnamon, and fruit-bearing trees while protecting the surrounding forest ecosystem.