VAWC cases climb to 1,103 in 2025

CEBU, Philippines — The reported cases of violence against women and children (VAWC) in Central Visayas nearly doubled over a four-year period, rising from 600 in 2022 to 1,103 in 2025, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Women’s Desk data.

The figures, presented by Cindy Pleños, Detective Management Section Police Non-Commissioned Officer, covered trends in VAWC cases across Police Provincial Offices (PPOs) and City Police Offices (CPOs), including case resolution performance, types of abuse, and crime rate indicators from 2022 to 2025.

PNP officials said the upward trend may indicate improved awareness among victims and greater accessibility of reporting channels, alongside continuing efforts of law enforcement and partner agencies to address domestic violence.

Despite the rise in reported incidents, police maintained a 100 percent crime clearance rate throughout the period, indicating that all cases were acted upon. The crime solution rate also improved, from 66.66 percent in 2022 to 79.51 percent in 2025, with solved cases increasing from 400 to 877.

In both 2022 and 2025, physical abuse remained the most commonly reported form of violence. In 2022, there were 369 cases of physical abuse, followed by 164 cases of psychological violence, 61 cases of economic abuse, and six cases of sexual abuse.

By 2025, physical abuse rose significantly to 722 cases, while psychological violence increased to 305. Economic abuse declined to 18 cases, and sexual violence slightly decreased to four.

In terms of civil status, married individuals and live-in partners consistently accounted for the largest share of reported victims. Cases involving married persons increased from 269 in 2022 to 444 in 2025, while live-in partners rose from 128 to 287. Single individuals also increased from 150 to 359 cases.

Meanwhile, Cebu Police Provincial Office posted the highest number of VAWC cases, increasing from 288 in 2022 to 590 in 2025, while Bohol Police Provincial Office also saw cases climb from 136 to 287.

For the city police offices, Cebu City Police Office recorded an increase from 117 cases in 2022 to 180 in 2025. In contrast, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office saw cases drop from 38 to 27, while Mandaue City Police Office registered a slight decline from 21 to 19 cases over the same period.

The average monthly crime rate for VAWC cases increased from 0.72 in 2022 to 1.32 in 2025, representing an 83.83 percent rise.

Authorities said the sustained increase in reported cases may be linked to stronger awareness campaigns, improved community reporting systems, and closer coordination between the PNP, local government units, and support agencies.

“Not only moadto ta sa mga school for making them aware kung unsay mga panghitabo nato, mga policies nato; educated them, visit them,” Pleños said.

She added that the consistent improvement in crime solution efficiency reflects strengthened investigative and response mechanisms in handling domestic violence cases.

“Kami pud sa PNP, moadto to inform them na dili dapat mahadlok,” she said.

Officials emphasized the need for continued collaboration among communities and institutions to further strengthen protection measures for women and children across Region 7.

“Kaning Community Communications, Community Relations, is the most important nga gibuhat gyud kay [og] dili nato sila maadto, dili namo madungog kung unsa ilang mga sentimento, what will happen to their questions or injuries,” Pleños said. — Sofhia Grace Neri, CNU Intern/MRM (FREEMAN)