BAGUIO CITY March 09 – The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) recorded some four hundred sixty-one cases of abuses against women in the city last year.
CSWDO Gender and Development (GAD) focal person Myrna Valencerina said that of this number of women in especially difficult circumstances, 379 cases remain to be unfiled and in various stages of counselling while 82 cases have already been filed against the perpetrators of the abuses against women.
Topping the list of abuses against women is physical abuse with 310 cases followed by sexual abuse with 68 cases, psychological and emotional abuse – 7 cases each and economic abuse – 2 cases.
She added that the most number of victims of these forms of abuses against women are those belonging to the age group 21-30 years old with 154 cases followed by those in the 31-40 age bracket with 126 cases, 41-50 years old – 87 cases, 20 years old and below – 61 cases, 51-60 years old – 26 cases and 61 years old and above – 7 cases.
Valencerina claimed that most of the victims of these abuses were provided with the necessary counselling, particularly the psychological and marital crisis counselling, as part of the interventions provided by the city government to allow the abused victims to recover from their difficult experiences from their abusers.
Aside from the provision of counselling to the victims, she reported that the city government is also extending medical, financial and educational assistance not only to the victims but also the members of their families depending on the results of the evaluation and assessment conducted by the assigned social welfare and development officers on the needs of the abused victims and their families.
From January to March 8, 2023, the CSWDO recorded some 52 cases of women in especially difficult circumstances coming from the various barangays of the city.
Valencerina said that appropriate interventions had already been provided to the abused women and their families considering that the negative impact of the abuses does not only affect the victim but also on their children.
She explained that in most cases, the victims of the abuse and their abusers, particularly the legally married husbands and wives, often reunite with each other after undergoing the marital crisis counselling but monitoring is still being done to ensure their improved relationship and prevent the repeat of the committed abuses.
However, she admitted that there are also some instances when the victims of abuses and their abusers part ways that pave the way for both parties to move on from such strained relationship which allows the CSWDO to extend more assistance to the victims of abuses and their children if necessary.
She advised women who are being abused to immediately report these to the CSWDO so that they can be provided with the necessary assistance to allow them to move out of such difficult situation that might impact on their lives in the future.
