THE Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6) said cases of violence against women in the region went down by 18.9 percent from January to November 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, citing data from the Regional Women and Children Protection Desk.
Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6), said the region logged 1,497 incidents from January to November 2025, lower than the 1,846 cases recorded during the same period in 2024.
Police Captain Jolly Canindo, chief of the Regional Women and Children Protection Desk, attributed the decline to intensified information campaigns, sustained community engagement, strengthened school-based advocacy, and improved coordination with partner agencies.
“Our collective efforts—from our police personnel to partner agencies and communities, have contributed to this substantial decline,” Canindo said.
Ligan commended PRO 6 units and stakeholders for their commitment to the campaign against violence targeting women and children.
“This achievement reflects our dedication to protecting women and children. Let us remain steadfast in being protectors of our women and children for a safer and happier Western Visayas,” Ligan said.
Data from the Regional Women and Children Protection Desk showed a steady decline in reported cases, which coincided with expanded prevention programs and improvements in Women and Children Protection Desks across the region.
PRO 6 said the trend came alongside coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Justice, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, and various nongovernment organizations in providing victim support and handling cases.
Police officials said information drives at the community and school levels focused on raising awareness of women’s rights, encouraging early reporting, and improving access to protective services.
The regional police office also cited regular training for desk officers to ensure proper handling of cases involving women and children.
PRO 6 said it remains committed to sustaining these efforts as part of its broader mandate to protect vulnerable sectors and uphold public safety across Western Visayas. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)