The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assisted 12,055 individuals who were victim-survivors of violence against women and their children (VAWC) from 2021 to 2023, a senior social worker of the agency said on Thursday (November 28).

“Para sa Republic Act (RA) 9262 or the Anti-VAWC Act of 2004, sinasabi sa batas na ito na dapat kinikilala natin ang karapatan ng mga biktima ng karahasan. Dahil dito, dapat natin silang bigyan ng naaayon, available, at accessible services,” Social Welfare Officer (SWO) Carol Nuyda told reporters during the DSWD Thursday Media Forum at the Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City.

SWO Nuyda said the DSWD provided comprehensive assistance to survivors of violence through the Residential and Non-Residential Care Services, the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP), and various community-based services.

The agency’s interventions include psychosocial care or counseling; psychological or psychiatric testing; provision of professional health services; referral for medico-legal examinations; and mechanisms for protection against mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as other forms of exploitation.

SWO Nuyda said the DSWD also provides clothing and personal items, offers legal and paralegal assistance, and facilitates referrals or transfers to local government units (LGUs) or registered and licensed private residential care facilities for temporary shelter or proactive custody.

VAW is defined as “any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman which resulted 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.”

SWO Nuyda said a woman can be considered a victim if she is the perpetrator’s wife, former wife, or if she has had a sexual or dating relationship with the perpetrator.

The same applies to any woman sharing a child with the perpetrator, regardless of whether the child is legitimate or illegitimate and irrespective of their living situation, according to the DSWD social worker.

The press briefing on VAW is one of the initiatives of the DSWD to raise awareness and promote the agency’s programs and services for victim-survivors of VAWC as part of the 18-day campaign to end violence against women.

“We have this campaign to address the root causes of VAW. Bakit po nakafocus sa VAW? It is because of the patriarchal order of the society despite the modernization that we have… Because of this unequal status in the society, masasabi po natin na nasa disadvantaged position ang kababaihan kaya mas nangangailangan sila ng protection at responses from the government,” SWO Nuyda explained.

The weekly Thursday Media Forum is a production of the DSWD’s Strategic Communications group and is hosted by Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) for Communications Raymond Robert Burgos and Director Lara Duran, officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications and head of the Agency Operations Service (AOS). It is live-streamed over the DSWD Facebook page.# (YADP)

Tagalog Version

Mahigit sa 12K babae na biktima ng panga-abuso, natulungan ng DSWD

Mahigit sa 12K indibidwal na biktima ng panga-abuso ang natulungan ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) simula ng 2021 hanggang 2023.

Ito ang iniulat ni DSWD Social Welfare Officer (SWO) Carol Nuyda sa ginanap na Thursday Media Forum sa New Press Center ng DSWD.

“Para sa Republic Act (RA) 9262 or the Anti-VAWC Act of 2004, sinasabi sa batas na ito na dapat kinikilala natin ang karapatan ng mga biktima ng karahasan. Dahil dito, dapat natin silang bigyan ng naaayon, available, at accessible services,” sabi ni SWO Nuyda.

Ayon sa social worker, nakapagbigay ng komprehensibong tulong ang ahensya sa 12,055 na kababaihan na nakaranas ng panga-abuso sa pamamagitan ng Residential and Non-Residential Care Services, the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP), at iba pang mga community-based services.

Kabilang sa mga interbensyon na ibinibigay ng DSWD ang psychosocial care o counseling; psychological o psychiatric testing; provision of professional health services; referral for medico-legal examinations; mechanisms for protection against mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, at iba pang uri ng exploitation.

Nagbibigay din aniya ang DSWD ng clothing and personal items, offers legal and paralegal assistance, gayundin ng pag- facilitate ng referrals o transfer sa mga lokal na pamahalaan; registered and licensed private residential care facilities para sa temporary shelter o proactive custody.

Ang VAW ay itinuturing na “any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman which resulted 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.”

Ayon kay SWO Nuyda, makukunsiderang biktima ng pangaabuso ang isang babae kung ito ay nakaranas ng pagma-maltrato sa kanyang asawa, dating asawa o sa kinakasama nito. Gayundin kung ang babae ay may anak sa mga nabanggit.

Ang ginanap na press briefing hinggil sa VAW ay isa sa mga inisyatibo ng DSWD upang magkaroon ng kamalayan at impormasyon ang mga victim-survivors hinggil sa programa at serbisyong ibinibigay ng ahensya bilang parte ng 18-day campaign upang wakasan ang violence against women.

“We have this campaign to address the root causes of VAW. Bakit po nakafocus sa VAW? It is because of the patriarchal order of the society despite the modernization that we have… Because of this unequal status in the society, masasabi po natin na nasa disadvantaged position ang kababaihan kaya mas nangangailangan sila ng protection at responses from the government,” sabi pa ng DSWD social welfare officer.# (MVC)