This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VII, No. 6, March 11-17, 2007
Abuse vs. Women and Children
High in Baguio The
number of abused women and children here remained high in the past three years,
the local justice and social welfare offices disclosed last week.
BY
LYN V. RAMO BAGUIO CITY (246 kms. north
of Manila) – The number of abused women and children here remained high in the
past three years, the local justice and social welfare offices disclosed last
week. The Office of the City
Social Welfare and Development Officer (OCSWADO) Betty Fangasan noted that most
abused women are jobless and housekeepers while abused children are mostly sons
or daughters of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose parents left them with
their fathers, stepfathers, or other relatives. Based on a report from the
Anti-Child Abuse Network in Baguio City, there were 286 children here who
suffered abuse in 2006. Of these, 108 were sexually abused, including two boys,
while 107 were physically abused. Twenty-five girls aged 2-17 survived
incestuous rape, while 83 were subjected to non-incest sexual abuse including
two two-year old girls. Among the 321 abused women
last year, 273 were subjected to physical abuse, 28 sexually abused, 21
psychologically abused and 7 economically abused. The five-year study on
child abuse released by the OCSWADO shows an increasing trend each year. From
187 abused children in 2002, the graph rises to a high 286 in 2006 with a slight
decrease from 188 in 2003 to 177 in 2004. For 2005, the figure is 226.
Fangasan theorizes that the
increased awareness of women on abuses and the passage of the Anti-Abuse of
Women and Children Law must have encouraged abused women to come out and report
the incident. “It does not mean there (was) less abuse before,” she said.
While the Integrated Bar of
the Philippines (IBP) in the city provides legal assistance to abused women and
children, lawyer Ruth Baoayan disclosed that not all those who were rescued
filed a case against their attacker. She attributed this to the notion that
barangay (village) officials could mediate in such cases. She also said that
most people still think that abuse within a marital relationship is merely a
private issue between spouses. “It is inherent for an
abused woman to have a sense of powerlessness. She noted the major concerns
usually raised by women asking for legal assistance are: getting child custody,
the recovery of their self-confidence and the use of their maiden surnames.
The city has passed its
Gender and Development Code in 2005 and since then, there have been various
efforts to implement the code, said Councilor Pinky Chan-Rondez. Northern
Dispatch / Posted by Bulatlat
© 2007 Bulatlat
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Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat