BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – – The Police regional Office – Cordillera (PROCor) reiterates its call for community support in eradicating Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC).
PRO – Cor Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) Chief PCOL Marcy Grace Marron said that even as the cases in the region are on the downtrend, the number remains high.
Marron reported in the recent Department of Health – led Kapihan forum here that 444 VAWC cases were recorded in the first three quarter of this year. 259 of the victims are minors or below 18 years old and the rest.
PRO-Cor PCOL Marcy Grace Marron calls on the support of communities in addressing the problem on violence against women and children and in supporting this year’s 18 – day capaign to end VAWC. (CCD/PIA CAR)
Marron reported in the recent Department of Health – led Kapihan forum here that 444 VAWC cases were recorded in the first three quarter of this year. 259 of the victims are minors or below 18 years old and the rest.
The 2023 figure is around 15 percent lower compared to the 520 cases recorded during the same period in 2022, however, it is still high.
Benguet logged the most cases with 128, followed by Baguio City with 121, Kalinga with 64, Ifugao with 46, Abra with 43, Mountain Province with 28 and Apayao with 22.
Most are violations of Republic Act 8353 or the Anti Rape Law with16; RA 9262 or the VAWC Law with 107, and 51 cases of acts of lasciviousness.
Marron said the PRO-Cor is continuously implementing programs and intervention measures against VAWC such as information, education and advocacy drives down to the community level and including social media utilization, community engagements and outreach activities establishments of police assistance desks and ensuring the availability of a 24/7 hotline numbers, among others.
DOH-CAR personnel with partners from the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and others give regional health updates and promote November health events including the 18-Day Campaign to End VAWC. (CCD/PIA CAR)
But even with all the police efforts as well as initiatives undertaken by other concerned agencies, these are not enough. She stressed the importance of the support of all sectors of society and the people in the community themselves in bringing down VAWC cases, if not to zero, at least to very minimal level.
The DOH CAR and the PROCor promoted in the kapihan the 18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Children which is observed every November 25 to December 12. With the theme “UNITED for a VAW-free Philippines, it calls for whole – of – government and whole – of – society efforts to eliminate VAWC. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR with Raeneil Inocencio/SLU Intern)
