By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), with support from the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IACVAWC ), kicked off on Monday the 2024 18-Day (Nov. 25-Dec. 12) Campaign to End Violence Against Women.
The “VAW Bigyang Wakas, Ngayon na ang Oras” event was held from 2 pm to 5pm at the Makiling Hall 1 and 2 of the Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA in SM City North EDSA.
PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla, in an interview, said that the Gender and Development (GAD) Program will end in 2025, but the monitoring of cases of violence against women and their children will continue.
The PCW serves as the Secretariat of the IACVAWC.
There are presently 39,000 Barangay VAW Desks out of the total of 41,610 Barangays nationwide.
The Commission on Filipino Women (CFW) is the precursor of the PCW.
Valdeavilla noted that the PCW is a policy-making body that monitors and makes recommendations on the protection and rights of women and their children.
She worked at the PCW for 20 years and she served as Executive Director of the PCW before she resigned.
Valdeavilla worked in international bodies for a couple of years until she was asked to return to the PCW and is now serving for the past four months as PCW Chairperson.
The 2022-2027 recurring campaign theme: “United for a VAW-free Philippines” and its 2024 sub-theme: “VAW Bigyang Wakas, Ngayon na ang Oras!” highlight the urgency of the advocacy on VAW.
The DSWD chairs the IACVAWC.
DSWD Asst. Sec. Elaine F. Fallarcuna represented DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian.
Fallarcuna said “First, we are now witnessing the unveiling of the National VAW Situationer based in the 20-year assessment of the Anti-VAWC Law.”
“Second, we are now launching the National Action Plan to End VAW (NAP EVAW) 2025-2030 to outline strategic priorities for the next five years,” she added.
“Dahil sa DSWD bawat buhay ay mahalaga,” Fallarcuna said.
“Today, we are commemorating the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Anti-VAWC Act of 2004 (RA 9262),” she added.
“We committed in Bogota, Colombia that by 2030, the Philippines will have Units for Women and Children in all public hospitals,” Fallarcuna said.
“On advocacy and protection on VAWC, we will have the Quadrimedia (Radio/TV/Newspaper/Social Media),” she added.
For VAW data system, the PNP has the Crime Information, Reporting and Analysis System(CIRAS).
The DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), as the Vice-Chair of IACVAWC, will have its VAW data in the Barangay Level.
Using RA 9262, ordinances and circulars as legal bases, among others, the Barangays are mandated to monitor VAWC cases, ensure the participation of the VAW Desk Officer in the gender sensitivity-related matter, and issue a Barangay Protection Order (BPO) at no cost.
The DSWD is supporting the campaign to end violence against women and children.
The DSWD is also supporting the pursuit of violence-free Philippines in the start today 18-day campaign to end Violence Against Women (VAW).
*With the support of the IACVAWC member agencies, mawawakasan natin ang violence against women and children,” Fallarcuna said.
“We should include them (Men) in the advocacy of Violence Against Women,” she added.
In his video message, DSWD Secretary REX Gatchalian expressed the support of the agency against VAW.
“The DSWD, as the lead of the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children, stands united with fellow government agencies and the private sector in this critical fight,” the DSWD chief said.
In the eReport app of the DICT (Department of Information and Communication Technology), real time and online, in the future, incidents of VAWC can be reported instantly and through the egovPh app, would channel to proper government agency, and the DICT is very much willing to help.
