Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay Center for Abused Women and Children: Multi-stakeholder Approach to Gender Concerns Center for Abused Women and Children: Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Gender Concerns in Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay Copyright © 2005 Philippines-Canada Local Government Support Program (LGSP) The Philippines-Canada Local Government Support Program encourages the use, translation, adaptation and copying of this material for non-commercial use, with appropriate credit given to LGSP. Although reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of this book, neither the publisher and/or contributor and/or editor can accept any liability for any consequence arising from the use thereof or from any information contained herein. Printed and bound in Manila, Philippines Published by: Philippines-Canada Local Government Support Program Unit 1507 Jollibee Plaza Emerald Ave., Pasig City 1600 Philippines Tel. Nos. (632) 637-3511 to 13 www.lgsp.org.ph This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Center for Abused Women and Children: Multi-stakeholder Approach to Gender Concerns DIPLAHAN, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY Philippines Canada Local Government Support Program Documentation of LGU Exemplary Practices Replicable Practice CENTER FOR ABUSED WOMEN AND CHILDREN: MULTI-STAKEHOLDER APPROACH TO GENDER CONCERNS IN DIPLAHAN, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (2ND CLASS MUNICIPALITY) CONTENTS Summary 2 Project Description: Recognizing women’s and 3 children’s rights as a critical concern History: A multi-stakeholder approach to VAWC 4 Results: Helping abused women and children makes for 5 good governance Key Implementation Steps 6 Analysis and Lessons Learned: Confronting child and 11 women abuse effectively Annexes: Annex A – Testimonies of Women and Children Assisted by the Center Annex B - Diplahan Center Services and Procedures Annex C – Sample Letter of Solicitation November 2005 1 Center for Abused Women and Children: Multi-stakeholder Approach to Gender Concerns DIPLAHAN, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY Summary The Center of Concern for Abused Women and Children in Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay shows the success of a multistakeholder approach in addressing gender concerns at the local level – a mandate not traditionally focused on by local government units (LGUs). Inaugurated on March 8, 2002 to coincide with International Women’s Day, the Center is the first and only one of its kind in the province. The project was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the municipal, provincial and barangay LGUs, one women’s organization and two religious groups. It has also won the support of congressional representatives, national agencies, neighboring municipalities and communities in Diplahan. The center was built through the pooled resources of the Zamboanga Peninsula Women Solidarity Foundation, the Maryknoll Fathers of Malangas and Ipil Prelature, with additional funds provided by Representatives Patricia Sarenas and Belma Cabilao. It is managed by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) with funding support from the municipal and provincial governments. Through these successful partnerships, the Center has been able to respond to the growing cases of child and women abuse in the area, providing temporary shelter, protection and rehabilitation for women and children victims. Since 2002, it has served 91 women, filed 5 cases of rape in court, increased awareness on women’s and children’s rights, provided livelihood and education services to women and children, and raised the gender sensitivity and capacities of concerned personnel in promoting women’s welfare. Neighboring municipalities have also availed of the Center’s services, spreading the benefits of the initiative to the rest of the province. November 2005 2 Center for Abused Women and Children: Multi-stakeholder Approach to Gender Concerns DIPLAHAN, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY Project Description: Recognizing violence against women and children as a critical concern A 2nd class, agricultural municipality in Zamboanga Sibugay, Diplahan was confronted with rising cases of abuse of women and children. While municipal data approximated the number of abuse victims at a small 2% of the total population of 35,665, concerned agencies believed the actual number could be higher, as many cases were not reported. Few as they were, however, women who do bring their complaints of abuse to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) often could not be properly helped, as the municipality had no temporary shelter or any other services to offer. The nearest temporary shelter and center for abused women was the Pagadian Lingap Center in Pagadian City, some 72 kilometers away. Because of this, MSWDO head Annabelle Basic Profile: Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay Tayurang often had to bring home women Location: one of 16 municipalities in Zamboanga, victims who came to her office for help Sibugay province Land Area: 15,887 hectares while their papers were being processed Population: 35,665 (17342 females and 18334 males) for admission to the Pagadian Center. Income class: 2nd class No. of barangays: 21 Land use: coastal, generally flat to rolling But it was not Tayurang alone who saw Major industries/economic activities: mainly the difficulty of the situation. In 2000, the agricultural, with rice and rubber as major crops Zamboanga Peninsula Women’s Solidarity Foundation of Ipil Prelature -3rd District of Zamboanga del Sur (ZPWSFI) joined the Maryknoll Fathers (MF) of Malangas in pushing for the construction of a shelter for abused women and children. They brought the idea to the Diplahan LGU which readily committed its support for the project. This became the beginning of a multistakeholder partnership that in its turn gave birth to a fully functioning Center, with its own organization and community-level structures, an annual budget for operations, an operations manual, and facilities and equipment, including an ambulance and a water system. With the MSWDO as Center Head, the center is staffed by MSWDO personnel, and assisted at the barangay level by Barangay Councils for the Protection of Women and Children (BCPWC). Project Objectives The center’s aims are two-fold. The first is to provide for the protection and rehabilitation of victims of abuse. The second objective is to facilitate their reintegration into mainstream society by enabling them to regain their self-worth and dignity and become productive constituents. November 2005 3 Center for Abused Women and Children: Multi-stakeholder Approach to Gender Concerns DIPLAHAN, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY To achieve these objectives, the center provides the following services: Shelter Protection Professional rehabilitation services such as counseling, therapy and other psychological services Educational assistance Livelihood, community participation skills development and other complementary skills Legal assistance in court cases Health care and nutrition services Project History: A multi-stakeholder approach to VAWC It was MSWDO head Tayurang who first championed the idea of a Center for Abused Women and Children. Given her experience of having to safekeep survivors in her own home for lack of a center, she personally felt the need for such a project and repeatedly raised the concern with the LGU and other civil society groups. In August 2000, the ZPWSFI, the Ipil Prelature (IP) and the Maryknoll Fathers (MF) through Fr. Ralph Kroesi heeded Tayurang’s call and offered to put up the Shelter Home for Abused Women and Children, if the municipal government of Diplahan agreed to have the MSWDO manage the center and shoulder its operational expenses. The Diplahan LGU readily gave its support to the project, effectively setting into motion a multi-stakeholder strategy for addressing violence against women and children (VAWC). The LGU committed to allocate an annual budget for the center’s staff salaries. The barangay council of Poblacion, meantime, worked for the donation of a 1,652 sqm lot to serve as the center’s site. ZPWZFI and the Maryknoll Fathers then proceeded to pool funds for the center’s construction; the groundbreaking pushed through in 2001. The Maryknoll Fathers also actively solicited funds for the center’s completion, which paid off when Rep. Patricia Sarenas and Rep Belma Cabilao contributed Php 750,000 and Php 100,000 respectively for the construction. The center was completed and inaugurated in March 2002 and started operating four months later, in August 2002. November 2005 4 Center for Abused Women and Children: Multi-stakeholder Approach to Gender Concerns DIPLAHAN, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY Results: Helping abused women and children makes for good governance Since it started operating, the center has served 91 clients from 2002 to 2004. Of these, 40 were provided counseling, medical treatment and transportation while 54 were admitted (See Table 1 on cases admitted). Admitted clients included 9 cases of battery and abuse of women and children, 24 abandoned and neglected children and 2 stranded/lost children. Ten were victims of incest and rape and one (1) was a victim of child trafficking. Of the 54 admitted cases, 16 were deemed successfully resolved; these include cases of wife battery, stranded/lost children, sexual harassment, child abandonment and neglect where the survivors chose to be reunited with their families. On the other hand, 5 rape/incest cases have been filed in court. More importantly, because of the center, more abuse survivors