WOMANITY RUN. Hundreds participate in a fun run in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental on Sunday (March 17, 2024) in celebration of National Women's Month. Police say cases of violence against women in Negros Oriental have risen in the first two months of the year. (Photo courtesy of Lupad Dumaguete Facebook)
DUMAGUETE CITY – Reports of violence against women (VAW) in Negros Oriental have risen this year, a police official said Tuesday.
Lt. Helen Aldirite, head of the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), said during the Kapihan sa PIA (Philippine Information Agency) forum here that for the first two months of this year, the province has already recorded 18 more VAW incidents than in 2023.
NOPPO records showed 62 VAW incidents in January and February, compared to 44 during the same period in 2023.
Aldirite said more women are coming out in the open to report abuses and file cases against their abusers.
She said interventions and other activities conducted by the police and other organizations have empowered them to fight for their rights.
"Over the past years, we have done a lot of interventions, such as dialogues, with women now educated on their rights and laws affecting them," she said.
Domestic violence involving spouses tops the list of abuses against women, although Aldirite could not give specific figures.
Gemelyne Espina, program manager of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Negros Oriental, said they conduct trainings on a community savings program for women to become financially independent.
Women tend to be abused by their husbands if they are solely dependent on them, Espina said.
Hilton Edrial, head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, said this year, they have assisted 84 women so far with psychological evaluation and medical examination related to VAW.
Some PHP3 million have been allocated for psychological evaluation and training not just of women but inclusive of all sectors, such as children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer group, he said.
Aldirite and other forum panelists said a common reason of victims' non-filing of cases is fear or stigma. (PNA)
