PURPLE Haven, the Women and Children Protection Unit (WCPU) of the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital (DSPH), marked its second anniversary on November 27, 2025, celebrating two years of serving as a refuge for survivors of abuse and violence.
For the past two years, Purple Haven has stood as a symbol of hope in a place where society’s most vulnerable are often hidden in silence. It has become a space where healing begins, where soft and trembling voices are finally heard, and where those with shattered spirits can find comfort and the courage to rebuild. More than a facility, it is a sanctuary built on compassion and bravery.
Highlighting the event was the signing of Deeds of Donation between the Provincial Government of Davao del Sur, represented by Gov. Yvonne Roña Cagas, and different partner institutions. The said institutions handed over the following items:
Goodlife Cares Foundation Inc: portable speaker
Brighston Foundation: double-door refrigerator
Rotary Club of Digos: smart TV and toys
The Child Protection Network Manila also turned over the Annual Report for 2024
Gov. Cagas attended the anniversary program and commended WCPU head Dr. Maryam P. Don for her unwavering dedication to sustaining the unit’s services despite limited resources. “Thank you Purple Haven team for your continued commitment to protecting women and children in crisis,” Cagas said.
The provincial government was the one who provided the WCPU facility within the premises of Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital (DSPH).
Dr. Don, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to stakeholders, especially the provincial government, the provincial police office, and the child protection network, noting that they are their major partners.
“I also extend my thanks to our partner organizations like the LGUs, SPMC, DRMC, WCPDs, and the prosecutors office, for their active participation in the management of individual cases of our victim-survivors,” Don said.
“To our community as a whole, may our fight against the abuse of our women and children start immediately right at the barangay level and even more within the heart of every home.
To the victims and witnesses who are reading or listening, The Purple Haven and our fellow advocates will continue to support you. You are not alone. Reach out to your family, neighbor, barangay, police, teacher, or whoever is closest to you right now. Your courage to speak even in a whisper will help us find you. You deserve freedom from violence and abuse. Help us help you,” Dr. Don ended.
As it celebrates its second year, Purple Haven reaffirms its mission to provide safety, support, and hope—ensuring that survivors are never alone in their path to healing.
Purple Haven: Its significance
Hospitals with dedicated Women and Children Protection Units (WCPUs) play a critical role in the fight against violence and abuse — they provide a safe, professional, and multidisciplinary environment where survivors can immediately receive medical, psychological, social, and legal support. Under Department of Health (DOH) policy, WCPUs are staffed by trained physicians, social workers, mental-health professionals, and (when needed) law enforcement — enabling a coordinated “whole-person” response that attends not just to physical injuries but also to mental trauma and medico-legal documentation, crucial for survivors pursuing justice.
Without such units, many victims risk further trauma, stigmatization, or lack of access to appropriate care, especially where violence often happens behind closed doors. Indeed, a properly functioning WCPU helps ensure confidentiality, dignity, and timely care at the moment when survivors are most vulnerable.
In the Davao Region several complementary initiatives bolster protection for women and children:
The Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), through the local government, runs Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) desks in every barangay, offering victims accessible local entry points to report abuse and obtain support.
Through the Davao City Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD), the city continues to uphold women’s rights and gender equality. In 2024 and 2025, the IGDD led programs such as a women’s pre-summit, a Women’s Day Parade, and the launch of a web-based VAW tracking system to monitor and manage gender-based violence cases more effectively.
On a wider regional level, the Regional Committee/ Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children Davao Region (RC/SCWC) recently underwent capacity-building training aimed at strengthening child-rights integration into local governance. The training helps local governments craft children-focused development plans, investment programs, and emergency-response protocols — reinforcing long-term protection structures for children.
These concurrent efforts — hospital-based care via WCPUs like Purple Haven; community-level VAWC desks; and regional policies and training for children’s welfare — together form a network of prevention, protection, and healing. They increase the likelihood that survivors of abuse, especially women and children, are not left alone to suffer or recover in isolation but are instead met with timely, compassionate, and structured support. CEA