Cebu City dads push for 24/7 VAWC hotlines

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has requested the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) to establish 24/7 VAWC hotlines (both landline and mobile number) to receive complaints and reports on trafficking and violence against women and children (VAWC).

The council also requested DSWS to maximize social media platforms as supplementary to the hotline numbers in order to reach the victims who are in need of information, help, and assistance.

Councilors Alvin Dizon and Lea Japson jointly filed a resolution regarding the matter which was approved by the council Wednesday.

In their resolution, DSWS was likewise requested, in coordination with the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), to make available in all barangay halls and conspicuous places in the barangay information or directory of VAWC hotlines of DSWS/Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center, National Bureau of Investigation VAWC Desk, among others.

Dizon said violence against women and girls increases during periods of crisis and the current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated gender-based violence.

“It is glaring that the current global health crisis worsened gender-based violence and the government should take action and implement measures to protect women and girls against this ‘silent pandemic’,” said Dizon.

In April 2020, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for action to address gender-based violence during the pandemic, which was supported by 146 countries.

Also in April 2021, the UN Population Fund estimated that every three months of lockdown would result in an extra 15 million cases of violence against women and girls.

Dizon said during the March to June 2020 lockdowns which kept millions of people inside their homes, the PNP documented 4,260 cases of violence against women and children.

According to the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) and the Social Weather Stations (SWS), 1 in 4 Filipinos (25 percent) believed that this pervasive violence is the most serious problem that women face during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dizon said it was also reported that many cases of gender violence have not been reported because of lockdowns and “cultural barriers.”

According to the UN Women, in October 2019 to September 2020, there was an increase in online searches related to violence against women in the Philippines. — GMR (FREEMAN)