MANILA, (PIA) -- The Enhanced 911 National Emergency Hotline now responds to calls of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) and other Gender-Based Violence (GBV) emergencies following the signing of a joint memorandum circular (JMC) by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently.

DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that with the issuance of the JMC, the E911 hotline will now open its lines to sensitive calls from the public on VAWC and GBV emergencies and will connect the victims to the proper concerned government agencies for proper investigation and action.

“We want to let the victims of VAWC feel that the government cares and is ready to help them at their time of need. All they need to do is dial 911 and they will be assisted promptly,” he said.

He said that the stringent quarantine measures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted government services, restricted mobility and transportation, and also limited opportunities to report VAWC cases.

“Violence against women and children mostly happens within the confines of the households with 1 out of 3 women experiencing physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence even before the COVID-19 pandemic,” Año said in a message read by DILG Undersecretary Marjorie Jalosjos during the JMC virtual signing.

With the issuance of the JMC, VAWC calls routed to the Emergency 911 National Call Center will now be coordinated and immediately relayed to appropriate government responders and government agencies.

All E911 Emergency telecommunicators are also expected to adopt the Guidebook for Handling VAWC calls in taking calls coursed through the E911 hotline.

On the other hand, concerned national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and other entities must properly respond to VAWC incidents and to strengthen local structures addressing VAWC.

“The DILG remains committed to strengthening the capacities of the LGUs, especially the Barangay VAW Desks and the Anti-Sexual Harassment or ASH Desks, to effectively respond to reported violence or harassment of women, men and members of the LGBTQIA+ community,” he added.

Among the signatories of the JMC were DILG Secretary Año, DOJ Secretary Medardo Guevarra, and DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista. Other key supporters also present during the event were Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chairperson Sandra Montano, University of the Philippines Center for Women and Gender Studies representative Dr. Nathalie Africa-Verceles, and Asia Foundation-Philippines Country Representative Sam Chittick.

Said event was organized by the Emergency 911 National Office and the PCW, with support from the Australian Embassy and the Asia Foundation, as part of the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW Now with the theme “VAW-free community starts with Me.”

Republic Act (RA) 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women provided for the creation of the VAW Desks to ensure that the cases are fully addressed in a gender-responsive manner. RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act likewise empowers barangays to provide necessary relief to survivors and safeguard them from further harm.

Psychological first aid, health care

Meanwhile, Emergency 911 Executive Director Diosdado Valeroso affirmed the commitment of the DILG-911 National Office in ensuring accessible, easy, and reliable response to the emergency needs of the Filipino people.

Valeroso said that on top of the usual police and fire as emergency responders, the E911 hotline number can now provide psychological first aid and survivor-centered care to VAWC patients.

As of November this year, 911 has responded to 2,042 calls. The Top 5 kinds of calls are: medical assistance – 1,070; police assistance – 666; fire assistance – 202; search and rescue – 100; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives – four.

However, Valeroso said they also received 1,391 non-emergency calls; 368,154 prank calls; and 3,739 telephone inquiries.

He said they have 72 telecommunicators composing four teams at present who work in 24-hour tours of duty, with one team working from home. (DILG/PIA-NCR)