BAGUIO CITY – The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance providing for a gender-based violence response mechanism and protocol in handling gender-based violence against women and their children cases in the city.
The ordinance stated the measure shall be enforced in all the city’s 128 barangays where the punong barangay shall designate an area in the barangay hall for a space to be used for cases on violence against women–gender-based violence (VAWC-GBV).
Further, the punong barangay shall provide for the necessary furniture and fixtures such as, but not limited to, table, chairs, separate filing cabinet and logbook for record-keeping of cases.
The council mandated the punong barangays to ensure the confidentiality of the cases and privacy and safety of the victims or survivors of the violence committed against women and children.
According to the council, the punong barangay shall designate VAWC-GBV desk person who is trained in gender-based sensitive handling of cases, probably woman barangay kagawad or woman barangay tanod, in cases where there are no trained personnel, ensure that the person assigned shall undergo basic gender sensitivity training and orientation of anti-VAWC laws.
The council stipulated that the functions of the barangay VAWC-GBV desk shall respond to gender-based violence cases brought to the barangays; respond to gender-based violence cases referred by the established hotline; record the number of gender-based violence incidents received by the desk and the hotline and submit a quarterly report on all cases to the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the field office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); keep VAWC-GBV case records confidential and secured and ensure that only personnel can access it; assist victims of VAWC-GBV in securing the barangay protection order and access necessary services as requested or needed; join in the development of the gender-responsive plan for the barangay level; coordinate and refer to government agencies, non-government organizations, institutions and other service providers as necessary and provide expertise and information in the creation of the city-led advocacies in the elimination of VAWC-GBV in the community.
The council tasked the CSWDO to promote the services of the VAWC-GBV hotline number to aid public recall of the number and it shall coordinate with the office of the City Mayor to require all city government offices to post the VAWC-GBV hotline number in conspicuous areas and the City Engineer’s Office to put up billboards in similar places within the city to promote the VAWC-GBV hotline number.
The council asserted that the City Permits and Licensing office shall require all existing establishments to include information on the city and barangay VAWC-GBV hotline to be displayed in conspicuous areas, making the same a requirement for every establishment applying for a new license to operate.
However, the aforesaid office shall deny any new or renewal applications for business licenses without proof of compliance on the said ordinance.
By Dexter A. See
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