COTABATO CITY (December 5) — In a push to make communities safer for women and children, the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) gathered 60 Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) officers in Davao City on November 28 for intensive training on handling gender-based violence (GBV) cases.
Held as part of the nationwide 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, the training aimed to strengthen frontline policing and ensure survivors across the Bangsamoro region receive compassionate, timely, and gender-sensitive support.
According to BWC, the goal is to equip WCPD personnel with “enhanced knowledge and skills in handling GBV cases,” reinforcing BARMM’s commitment to survivor-centered protection services.
WCPD officers—specialized units within the Philippine National Police—play a vital role in responding to abuse, exploitation, and violence affecting women and children. For many families in the region, they are the first responders who guide survivors toward safety, medical care, and justice.
The sessions covered topics such as Gender in Islam, key laws including the VAWC Law and the Early Childhood Marriage Law, the PNP’s official guidance on GBV response, and updated referral pathways for human trafficking cases. Officers from various police stations across BARMM also shared experiences from the field, highlighting the challenges of reaching remote communities and navigating sensitive cases.
The initiative forms part of the Bangsamoro Government’s broader effort to strengthen local protection systems—ensuring that women and children, regardless of where they live, can access respectful and reliable support when they need it most.
For communities across BARMM, the message is clear: strengthening GBV response is not only about enforcing the law, but about building a safer, more caring environment for every woman, child, and family in the region.
