Functionality of Barangay Violence Against Women (VAW) desks in Pasig City

The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Pasig City in preparing its Local Gender and Development Agenda (GAD) for 2024. The study involved thirty (30) barangay units in Pasig (districts 1 and 2) and how their VAW desks responded to the guidelines set by the DILG as enunciated by Republic Act No. 9262 (Philippine Commission on Women, 2004). The main goal of local community desks is to provide support, protection, and justice to victims of gender-based violence. It’s important to note that the functionality and effectiveness of the Barangay VAW Desk may vary from one barangay to another, depending on the local government’s available resources, capacity, and commitment. Addressing violence against women involves raising awareness, promoting gender equality, and implementing legal and social measures to prevent and respond to such acts. The units of analysis involved three phases: (1) assessing whether the several national laws addressing violence against women are being adopted and implemented at the city level as intended; (2) assessing the functionality set by DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2017-114 (Department of the Interior and Local Government, 2017); (3) evaluating whether the program has achieved its goals; and (4) whether the outcomes are meaningful and sustainable for Pasig LGU local Gender/Development Agenda (Yalao, 2023). The results showed that the LGU is proactively preparing the local GAD Agenda for the Philippines. The LGU should adopt a multifaceted approach to address the concerning issue of VAW in the eight barangay units with a remark of 50 percent and below.