The Caloocan City Government, led by Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan, partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch the ‘Gender-based Violence (GBV) Responders Guide’ that serves as a directory and resource for GBV prevention of the city’s 188 barangays.
“Today, we’re partnering with the USAID to train our health service providers, members of the GBV council and local youth groups in gender sensitivity and response,” Mayor Along said.
“Our priority is to let our women and children feel and know that they are safe and that we are here to protect them,” he added.
USAID Office of Health Director Michelle Lang-Alli stated that the said directory contains contacts of GBV responders and service providers, information about referral pathways, assessment guide for survivors, and other resources from partner initiatives such as the Department of Health’s (DOH) FamiLigtas campaign.
“We hope that this guide and directory will serve as a valued resource for all our GBV prevention champions in Caloocan City and help create bridges of hope and new beginnings for victim-survivors of GBV,” she said.
According to the Mayor, this measure is to augment the city’s existing efforts to prevent gender-based violence especially amid the pandemic where globally, there was a rise in reports of domestic and child abuse.
“We have responded to the rising figures of domestic abuse during the COVID-related lockdowns by empowering our very own Gender and Development Office and implementing our gender-based violence responders program,” Mayor Along said.
“Through this partnership, we aim to immediately act on reports of abuse and help reduce the impact of physical, emotional, sexual and psychological violence,” the local chief executive stated.
The said event was also attended by Chief of Party, USAID Reach-Health Project Dr. Laurentiu Stan, Caloocan City Health Department Officer-in-charge Dr. Evelyn Cuevas, City Gender and Development Resource and Coordinating Office Director Jan Bagtas and members of the Barangay.