November 25 as "National Conciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children"

March 19, 2013

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10398

AN ACT DECLARING NOVEMBER TWENTY-FIVE OF EVERY YEAR AS "NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN"

SECTION 1. In recognition of the need to establish a comprehensive and structured campaign for national consciousness on anti-violence against women, November 25 of every year is hereby declared as the "National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children".

SECTION 2. The following activities shall be undertaken in observance of this occasion:

(a) Heads of government agencies and instrumentalities, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units and employers in the private sector shall, together with their employees, organize, engage or participate in activities designed to raise public awareness on the problem of violence, and the elimination of all forms of violence, against women and children.

(b) The Philippine Information Agency shall be mandated to allocate a minimum of one (1) hour airtime for programs exclusively raising public awareness on the problem of violence against women and children and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and children. Relative thereto, all television and radio networks nationwide are encouraged to allocate airtime for the said programs.

(c) Publishers of local newspapers and magazines are encouraged to highlight the problem of violence, and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and children. cDTCIA

(d) The Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, in coordination with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, women nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other NGOs and people's organizations advocating for women's and children's human rights, shall lead public and private school communities at all level's in organizing consciousness-raising activities on than problem of violence, and the elimination of all forms of violence, against women and children.

SECTION 3. The National Statistics Office, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Foreign Affairs and all Philippine embassies and consulates shall, in coordination with the PCW, undertake the data gathering and systematization of a database on all forms of violence against women and children, including Filipino women and children working and/or residing abroad. These agencies shall consolidate their findings and make a report to the public on the statistics and status of violence against women and children every November 25 of each year.

SECTION 4. The PCW and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), constituted under Section 20 of Republic Act No. 9208 or the "Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003" and the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Their Children (IAC-VAWC), constituted under Section 39 of Republic Act No. 9262 or the "Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004", shall coordinate, monitor and evaluate the activities outlined in the annual eighteen (18)-day campaign at the national level.

At the regional level, the Regional Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Trafficking-Violence Against Women and Their Children (RIACAT-VAWC) shall likewise coordinate, monitor and evaluate said activities for the annual campaign at the provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels. They shall also make an annual report of their findings to be reported to the public every November 25.

The PCW, the IACAT and the IAC-VAWC shall likewise coordinate and tap the expertise of other government agencies and institutions like the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), as well as other private sector organizations in the implementation of activities for the eighteen (18)-day campaign. THaCAI

SECTION 5. Funds for the implementation of the aforestated activities, programs and projects shall be taken out of the five percent (5%) Gender and Development budget allocated to all government agencies and local government units, as mandated by Section 36 of Republic Act No. 9710 or "The Magna Carta of Women".

SECTION 6. If, for any reason, any section or provision of this Act is held to be unconstitutional or invalid, the validity of other sections herein shall not be affected thereby.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. caIACE

Approved: March 19, 2013.

Published in The Philippine Star on March 25, 2013.