After a month-long observance of the 2025 National Women’s Month Celebration (NWMC) in Central Visayas, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children (IACAT7-VAWC) convened at the Cebu City Hall on March 27, 2025, to mark the regional culmination.
With a renewed commitment to protecting women and children from all forms of abuse, violence, and trafficking, the event not only celebrated the successful series of month-long activities but also called for a strong, collective effort to enhance the welfare and protection of women across all stakeholders.
Key activities throughout March included the kick-off parade organized by the Cebu City Women’s and Family Affairs Commission, a Gender-Based Violence orientation for students, the Manong Driver para kay Juana: Ending Trafficking in Persons campaign for public utility operators, the Pakiglambigit ni Juana advocacy event for women and female child survivors of abuse and violence, and media promotions of GBV and VAWC awareness.
During the culmination, a roundtable discussion on the best practices of the Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children (LCAT-VAWC) featured representatives from the provincial government of Bohol, the City of Talisay in Cebu, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region 7.
Lowella Vestil, the assistant department head of the City Social Welfare and Development Office in Talisay, shared the LGU’s good practice in establishing the Gender and Development (GAD) Learning Hub. The Philippine Commission on Women recognized this as best practice among local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas.
Additionally, the inter-agency council recognized LGUs for their high-functioning Local Committees on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children (LCAT-VAWC) for Fiscal Year 2024. Honorees included the provincial governments of Bohol, Cebu, and Siquijor; the highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu; eight component cities; and 39 municipalities across the region. The interagency body gave these recognitions based on the results of the 2024 High-Functionality Assessment conducted by DILG 7.
Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2010-1 outlines the creation of LCAT-VAWC and establishes basic standards for developing mechanisms to collaboratively address issues on trafficking in persons and VAWC at the local level.
The full results of the 2024 High-Functionality Assessment for the LCAT-VAWC are available on the IACAT7-VAWC Facebook Page.
Members agencies of the IACAT7-VAWC also received recognition for their support throughout the month-long celebration of Women’s Month. Awards were presented to 54 partner agencies that demonstrated their commitment by conducting their advocacy activities to support the celebration.
In her message, DSWD 7 Regional Director and co-chairperson of the IACAT7-VAWC Shalaine Marie S. Lucero challenged all stakeholders to continue advocating for gender equality and women empowerment.
She called on the LGUs to be actively involved in achieving high functionality, leading to increased efforts for women, including local ordinances or resolutions, capacity-building activities, regular meetings, and policies for the protection of women.
For DSWD 7, the month-long celebration serves as a foundation for the advocacies of the IACAT7-VAWC and member agencies, highlighting the invaluable contributions of women to nation-building. With the theme “Babae sa Lahat ng Sektor, Aangat ang Bukas sa Bagong Pilipinas,” NWMC reinforces the objectives of Republic Act 9710, or the Magna Carta for Women, which aims to empower women, promote gender equality, and ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities.
Furthermore, the culmination served as a reminder of the collective efforts required to uphold gender equality, combat trafficking and violence, and empower and protect women and children in Central Visayas. ###
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