Vice-Governor’s Speech: 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC)
A good and orange morning everyone! My respect to our beloved Governor, Hon. Herminia M. Ramiro; sa akong mga kauban sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Hon. Edilma Bulawin, SP Chair Committee on Women; to our City and Municipal Officials; to our women representatives and leaders from the 17 LGU’s; to our Department Heads; sa tanang Misamisnons, good morning once again.
This activity today – our Orange Day – which marks the start of the 18-day campaign to end Violence Against Women (VAW), I think, is a very important landmark. Earlier, Ms. Maribel, our Provincial GAD Officer , explained to us the reasons why we are here today.
Maybe just like me, nakapangutana sad mo. What is so special with violence against women? How about violence against men? Dili ba sad diay nato tagaan ug pagtagad ang mga kalalakihan?
Kon atong subayon ang balaod, ang Republic Act 9710 or Magna Carta for Women, adunay gitawag nato ug “Gender Equality”. Gender Equality refers to the equality of men and women and their right to enjoy equal conditions realizing their full human potentials. Between men and women, patas ra ang ilang katungod. Apan ngano man nga murag pirmi man especial ang mga kababaihan? If we continue to search the law, there is what we call “Temporary Special Measures”.
Chapter 2, Section 4-(j) of RA 9710 nag-ingon: There are “Temporary Special Measures” and these refer to a variety of policies and practices aimed at accelerating this de facto equality of women in specific areas. Wala pa jud makab-ot ang patas nga katungod sa mga kababayen-an maong naa ning gitawag nato nga special measures.
The special measures in the Magna Carta for women shall be discontinued when their objectives have been achieved. Sulod sa daghang katuigan, ang mga kababayen-an nag-antos sa mga pag-abuso ug discriminasyon.
Makahinumdum pako nga sauna, moingon usahay ang mga ginikanan sa ilang anak nga babaye ilabi na kon naglisod, “Okay ra dai kon dili ka makatungtong ug kolehiyo, igo ra bitaw pud ka minyoan.” It was not until August 14, 2009 that the Magna Carta for Women was enacted; and on March 8, 2004, Violence Against Women and Their Children Law was put into motion. Kon atong subayon, taas kaayo ang mga katuigan where the rights of women and their children were not fully recognized.
We are not discriminating men by elevating the status of women, but we are only putting them on equal footing. It is not a competition, but a complementation. There is more to those women beside you. Ingna imong tapad nga babaye “There is more to you than what meets the eye!”
Women have many unique talents and if their husbands and the societies will be able to tap into it, you will be amazed at what a woman can accomplish. The Governor and I are also women. Women make excellent partners of development. At the Makati Training Placement and Livelihood Consortia (MTPLC), courses that used to be work associated with men like welding, plumbing, and carpentry are lately seeing a growing number of Filipino women enrollees.
Violence Against Women is a sad reality. According to the Philippine Commission on Women, reported cases under RA 9262 continue to increase from 218 in 2004 to 16,517 cases in 2013. Sa unang panahon, bisan ug makadungog ta nga gikulata na ang atong silingang babaye sa iyang bana, dili lng ta magpakabanâ kay lagi “it’s a family matter”, apan karon dili na na pwede.
Thru the VAWC Law, Section 25 of RA 9262 states: “Violence against women and their children shall be considered a public offense which may be prosecuted upon the filing of a complaint by any citizen having personal knowledge of the circumstances involving the commission of the crime”. Kon inahan ka nga nakakita nga gikulata ang imong anak sa iyang bana, naa kay dakong mahimo. Kon silingan ka o amiga, naa kay mahimo. Pwede ka manghilabot ug ireklamo ang maong abuso.
If men feel violated kon sila dagmalan o sumbagon, sama ra usab niana ang bation sa mga babaye. Please do not destroy a woman because no matter how resilient a woman can be, there is always a breaking point.
According to Psychology, one of the theories that explains why a victim might stay with an abusive partner is the “Theory of Learned Helplessness”. This tells us that women who are victims of violence tend to develop maladaptive passive behavior in the face of trauma. Unsa may pwedeng mu-resulta niini?
Abuse can change a woman’s character from being warm to becoming passive; from being loving to becoming an angry person; from being confident to becoming fearful. If a woman cannot anymore take care of herself because of constant abuse, it will be very difficult for her to take care of others, especially her children. Please do not let your wife or any woman in your family experience this. The Bible says: “Husbands, love your wives”, and in my own words I’d say “Respect must be mutually given because we have equal rights”.
Akong gihangyo ang tanang kababayen-an sa pagtindog. Together, let us say this: “I am a woman! And I am determined to rise!”
Thank you very much!