Close to 75 percent barangays have women's desk - DILG

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Interior and Local Government said on Monday that close to 75 percent of barangays in the country have set up the  women's desks that are ready to respond to gender-based violence cases.

In a report to DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, Undersecretary for Local Government Austere Panadero said 74.73 percent or a total of 31,408 of the 42,028 barangays all over the country including Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have established their Violence Against Women desk as of December 2013.

Panadero said a VAW desk in every barangay will ensure that cases involving violence against women and children are addressed in a gender-responsive manner.
          
Citing a report from the DILG’s National Barangay Operations Office, Panadero said the regions topping the list of barangays with VAW desks include Region IVA – all of its 4,011 barangays (100 percent); Region VII – all of its 3,003 barangays (100 percent); National Capital Region – 1,705 of its 1,706 barangays (99.94 percent ); and Region VI – 4,034 of its 4,051 barangays (99.58 percent).

Other regions with VAW desks are: Region II - 2,148 (92.95 percent); Region XII  - 1,046 (87.53 percent); Cordillera Autonomous Region – 1.014 (86.22 percent); Region X- 1,737 (85.91 percent); Region III- 2,315 (74.63 percent); Region XIII- 912 (69.57 percent); Region IX- 1,266 (64.99 percent); Region I – 1,782 (54.58 percent); Region VIII – 2,237 (50.96 percent); Region V – 1,323 (38.12 percent); and ARMM being the lowest at 274 out of 2,490 barangays (11 percent).

Panadero said VAW desks are tasked primarily to: record and submit quarterly report on all cases of VAW to the DILG city or municipal office, keep VAW case records confidential and secure, and assist victims of VAW in securing a Barangay Protection Order and accessing necessary services.

"The cost of the establishment and operations of the VAW desk is charged to the local government unit's gender and development budget, which shall be at least five percent of their budget allocation," he said.

A report obtained from the NBOO showed a total of 26,347 VAWC cases were reported in nine regions excluding ARMM as of December 2013.
           
Panadero said the establishment of a VAW desk reinforces the government’s resolve to address violence against women and children in the country.

Republic Act 9262  or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 defines VAW as "any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate, within or without the family abode, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty."