Mr.

Ariel Martinez

Professor

Christian U. Magtibay

Riza M. Lunar

Diploma Industrial Technology

A DEEPER LOOK AT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (VAW): THE PHILIPPINE CASE

International Women's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when
women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national,
ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.

Violence against women encompasses a wide spectrum of areas such as socio-cultural and and
political. There are existing laws in the Philippines that protect the rights and welfare of Filipino
women. Below are the laws that pertain to rights of the women:

Legislation and laws

Among the Philippine laws that aim to protect women are: Republic Act No. 9262, Republic Act
No. 9710, and Republic Act No. 8371.

Republic Act No. 9262

Republic Act No. 9262 is known as The Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act of
2004. Recognizing "the need to protect the family and its members particularly women and
children from violence and threats to their personal safety and security", RA 9262 was signed by
former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 2, 2004.

Under the RA 9262, VAW refers to "any act or a series of acts committed by any person against
a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a
sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether
legitimate or illegitimate, within or without the family abode, which result in 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."

Furthermore, RA 9262 gives women and their children the right to file a protection order. A
protection order is "an order issued for the purpose of preventing further acts of violence against
a woman or her child and granting other necessary relief." The protection order "safeguards the
victim from further harm, minimizing any disruption in the victim's daily life and facilitating the
opportunity and ability of the victim to independently regain control over her life." The types of
protection orders that may be issued are: the barangay protection order (BPO), the temporary
protection order (TPO), and the permanent protection order (PPO).

For BPOs, the order is usually issued by the Punong Barangay or Barangay
Kagawad. Barangay officials are expected to "respond immediately to a call for help or request
for assistance or protection of the victim." Likewise, they are expected to "arrest the suspected
perpetrator without a warrant when any of the acts of violence is occurring, or when he/she has
personal knowledge that any act of abuse has just been committed, and there is imminent
danger to the life or limb of the victim." Any barangay official or law enforcer who fails to report
the incident shall be liable for a fine not exceeding P10,000 and/or whenever applicable,
criminal, civil, or administrative liability.

Republic Act No. 9710

Known as the Magna Carta of Women, Republic Act No. 9710 "affirms the role of women in
national building and ensures the substantive equality of women and men" in society. Pushing
for the empowerment of women and for equal opportunities for both women and men, RA 9710
highlights the state's position, particularly of how the state "condemns discrimination against
women in all its forms and pursues." RA 9710 was signed on August 14, 2009 by former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The MCW consists of provisions on: (1) the principle of human rights of women, (2) the
definition of women's rights, (3) the duties related to the human rights of women, (4) the rights
and empowerment of women (especially those in affected by calamities or disasters, in the
marginalized sectors, or in especially difficult situations), (5) the institutional mechanisms
through which rights of women are protected and upheld, and finally, (6) the implementing rules
and regulations concerning the Magna Carta.
Republic Act No. 8371

Republic Act No. 8371 is known as The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997. Signed on
October 29, 1997, RA 8371 highlights the state's recognition and promotion of all the rights of
Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs).

Under RA 8371, ICCs or IPs "refer to a group of people or homogenous societies identified by
self-ascription and ascription by other, who have continuously lived as organized community on
communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time
immemorial, occupied, possessed customs, tradition, and other distinctive cultural traits or who
have, through resistance to political, social, and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous
religions and culture, became historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos."

Other Philippine laws

Among other pieces of legislation that are related to VAW and were passed by the Philippine
government to protect the rights of women are:

1. The Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 (Republic Act No. 7877)

2. The Anti-Rape Law of 1997 (Republic Act No. 8353)

3. The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9208)

4. The Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8505)

5. The Women in Development and Nation Building Act (Republic Act No. 7192)

6. The Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 9775)

7. The Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination
Act (Republic Act No. 7610)

8. The Family Courts Act of 1997 (Republic Act No. 8369)

9. The Revised Penal Code (Republic Act No. 3815)

 10.The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act No.
10354)

11. The Domestic Workers Act (or Batas Kasambahay) (Republic Act No. 10361)

12.The Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 8972)

The extent and wide scope of the Violence against Women (VAW) is overwhelming. For the past
decades, data cannot be underscored.

The impacts of this report reflect the importance of advocating the rights and any laws that
pertain to the welfare of every Filipino women.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_women_in_the_Philippines