Baguio city: Information campaigns on violence against women (VAW) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) have led to an increase in reported cases, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced Tuesday. "The cases are fluctuating every year, but the different offices, institutions, and agencies continue to receive cases which we positively view as a result of the information campaign conducted to apprise the women and children of their rights," said Cecil Basawil, assistant regional director for operations of DSWD-CAR, at the launch of the 18-day Campaign to End VAW.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD-CAR data shows a varying number of reported VAW cases over recent years: 325 cases in 2020, 471 in 2021, 1,012 in 2022, 874 in 2023, 1,186 in 2024, and 437 so far in 2025. The data reveals that 56 percent of these cases involve domestic violence, categorized into physical abuse (62 percent), psychological abuse (21 percent), economic abuse (10 percent), and sexual abuse (7 percent). Victims predominantly fall within the 25 to 39 age group.
Basawil noted that only 35 percent of the cases advance to court proceedings, as many victims choose not to file charges. "We deepen the call for a VAW-free Philippines by embracing a whole-of-nation approach that recognizes that ending gender-based violence is not the work of one agency, one sector, or one community alone. It is a shared responsibility that calls all of us to rise, respond, and act," she emphasized.
The DSWD-CAR operates centers like the Regional Haven, which provide emotional, economic, and psychological support to victims and survivors. Private sector-managed centers also offer care for abuse victims.
This year's 18-day Campaign to End VAW, running from Nov. 25 to Dec. 12, aims to expedite the National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women, with a focus on local-level implementation. It seeks to engage the youth in advocating against violence, raise awareness, and empower men to foster respectful behavior, challenge harmful norms, and support gender equality. "We join the nation in raising our voices against all forms of gender-based violence," Basawil declared.
