CEBU CITY – Cebu and the Philippines’ iconic landmark, Fort San Pedro dons an orange exterior lighting from November 25 to December 18, 2022 in support to the annual nationwide campaign to end violence against women and children (VAWC) as strongly endorsed by the Department of Tourism (DOT)– Central Visayas.
According to DOT undersecretary, Shahlimar Hofer Tamayo, DOT-7 joins the entire country, particularly national government departments and agencies and local governments to actively participate in the campaign and to further raise awareness towards eliminating trafficking of women and children and violence against them in communities and workplaces.
“We hope that as we light up Fort San Pedro, we ignite the fire of courage for women and children suffering in silence, showing them that there are ways out of this condition. We also hope to send out a strong message that violence – emotional, sexual, physical, financial – has no place in Philippine society and especially, where we operate,” Tamano said.
He further bared that DOT-7 will hold various Workshops on Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) in December specifically “Arnis” and highlighting FMA as a self-defense option for victims of domestic and workplace violence.
Tamano added that Section 3 of Republic Act 9593 (The Tourism Act of 2009) upholds the principle of promoting the general well-being of the Filipino people, including preventing the exploitation of women and children in the tourism sector.
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), now on its 20th year also spearheads the country’s participation in the UN Campaign that banners ‘UNiTEd for a VAW-free Philippines’ sustaining the gains from its 2016 to 2021 theme “VAW-free Community Starts with Me.” It proposes strength in combining individual efforts to achieve high-impact results.
The Philippines headlined its first year of participation in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with the call to action of immediate passage of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (R.A. 9208) which was signed into law in 2003.
More laws were passed in succeeding years, including the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act (R.A. 9262) in 2004. Inter-agency councils and committees tasked with overseeing the popularization and implementation of said laws have been created. (Photos: DOT7-FB/google Images)
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