THE Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) reported a decrease in the number of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) cases in the region — from 200 cases in 2023 to 100 cases in 2024.
Gladys Credo, lead secretariat of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat)-VAWC of DSWD-Davao, said that during their 18-day campaign to end VAWC, the department catered to 12 walk-in clients from January to September 2025.
She said that with the decrease in cases, they aim for VAWC to be zero by 2030, adding that they are bolstering their advocacy campaigns at the grassroots level and raising awareness.
"Dako siya nga milestone na makita nato nga pinaagi sa atoang mga advocacy campaign gi-strenghthen nato ang reporting mechanism sa grassroots levels sa atoang barangay level and also pag respond sa atoang VAWC cases," she said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw, on Monday, December 1, 2025.
(It is a significant milestone for us to see that through our advocacy campaigns, we have strengthened the reporting mechanisms at the grassroots level in our barangays, as well as the response to our VAWC cases)
Credo said that most of the cases reported to them involve physical and economic abuse, usually because victim-survivors seek support.
She noted that there are five forms of abuse: physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and economic.
She said they are currently capacitating the VAWC desks in barangays to further enhance referral mechanisms in line with their goal of making the Philippines VAWC-free.
According to Credo, their campaign aims to raise awareness on preventing and eliminating all forms of violence, abuse, and discrimination against women; strengthen support from communities, agencies, and organizations to protect women and children; encourage the reporting of VAW cases and recognize women as partners in development; and emphasize that violence against women must never be ignored and that preventing it is everyone’s responsibility.
The 18-day campaign to end VAWC is an annual national initiative in the Philippines, observed from November 25 to December 12. The campaign aligns with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children on November 25 and concludes ahead of the International Day Against Trafficking on December 13.
The campaign kicked off on November 24 with a pledge of commitment from Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere (MOVE) and will end on December 11, 2025, with on-site psychosocial support for victim-survivors of VAW.
What constitutes a VAWC violation?
Under the Republic Act. No. 9262 otherwise known as the Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) in the Philippines, women who is a wife or a former wise, woman whom the offender has or had sexual or dating relationship, woman who have a common child with the offender, and woman's child whether legitimate or not, living inside or outside the family home is protected under the law.
The main categories for VAWC are physical violence, sexual violence, psychological or emotional violence, and economic abuse.
RA9262 further stipulates that VAWC constitutes violence committed through physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse against a woman or her child. The law includes the following acts: physical harm, restricting freedom, using self-harm threats, forcing or attempting to force sexual activity, and psychological and emotional abuse.
Violators would depend on the specific act committed Acts causing physical harm (Sec. 5a) are punished based on the Revised Penal Code—for offenses like parricide, murder, homicide, mutilation, or physical injuries. Threats of physical harm (Sec. 5b) carry a penalty two degrees lower than the corresponding crime, but not lower than arresto mayor. Attempts or placing the woman/child in fear of harm (Sec. 5c–d) are punishable by arresto mayor.
Restricting freedom or controlling behavior (Sec. 5e) is punishable by prison correccional.Self-harm threats used for control (Sec. 5f) are punishable by arresto mayor. Coerced sexual acts (non-rape) (Sec. 5g) are punishable by prision mayor. Psychological, emotional, and other harassment (Sec. 5h–i) are also punishable by prision mayor.
Meanwhile, higher penalties would apply if the crime is committed while the woman or child is pregnant or in the child's presence. Violators would be imprisoned and must pay a fine of P100,000 to P300,000; and undergo mandatory psychological counselling or psychiatric treatment, with compliance reported to the court.
National statistics on VAWC
In the report of the Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) data provided by the Philippine National Police to the Philippine Commission on Women, there are 8,055 reported cases of Anti-VAWC Act in 2023, which is 3.76 percent increase from the 7,763 in 2022.
In the year 2023, the combined total of all reported VAW/VAWC-related cases — including rape, harassment, trafficking, etc. — reached 11,585.
For 2024, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that they served 1,069 victim-survivors of VAWC and other forms of abuses nationwide under their community-based programs. RGP