SIX'll ':ICNTII CO N(; I{ I ':SS () I' Til F RFJ'IJlll.l (' 
) 
01:'1111,: 1)IIILlJ'J>INI~S 
) 
I:irst Regular Session 
) 
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(J£C -3 P;Z :32 
SHNljlg 
S, No. 
.1·95 
fU~CEIVED bY: J: . 
Introduced by Senator Miriam [)erensor Santiago 
I·:XPLANATORY NOTE 
Violence against women has been dclinecl in the United Nations Declaration on the 
Hlimination or Violence Against Women: 
"Violence Against Women (V A W) is any act of gender-based violence 
that results ill, or is likely to result ill, physical, sexual or psychological harm or 
surf'ering to WOlllen, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary 
deprivation 0[' liberty, whclher occurring in public or in private li[e." 
In year 2000, the Department or Social Wc![llre ancl Development reported that in the 
first 
SIX nHlnths or :2000 there were 4,'168 reports 0[' women in "especially dilTicult 
eirclnnsl<lnces". Nl:arly [w[r or (he cases arc reported to have involved physical abuse, 
ma[treatnlent and battery while 14 percent reportedly involved sexual abuse. 
When crime, drugs, and violence spillover li'om (he streets into the schools, providing a 
sarc learning environll1ellt becomes increasingly difficult. Creating such an environment where 
stndents can learn depends on a partncrshi p among students, parents, teachers, and other 
eOll1lnunity institutions. School violence can be presented by taking action to protect students, 
particularly WOlllCll stll<Jenls, who ean be victims of discrimination and violence. 
To help illlpmvc salcry oJ'wol11cn students within educational institutions, it is important 
that school adlllinistratiolls establish ol'liees that l(lellS on I(lrlllulating policies and guidelines on 
how to proillotc sehoo[ scemity and s(udent saf'ety by (raining school personnel in eonllict 
resolution, problem solving, drug prcvcntion~ crisis intervention, cultural sensitivity, classrool11 
lllanagement, and counseling skills. 
This bill ,scdcs to address violence in educational institutions by mandating the creation 
oj' a women's desk ill all sllch institutions. Its aim shal[ he to serve women students by protecting 
thell1 against all [(lrIns "rviolenee in a cOll1prehcnsivc ancl personalizecimanner which adheres Lo 


thc national Jlolicies Oil wOlllen's protcctioll. ;\ wOlllcn', desk will also [(lellS on receiving 
complains ul'vioicllcc <lp,ainsl women and strive to help viclims recover . 
• This hill \V<lS origimlily filed during th~ Thirteellth Congress, Third Regular Session. 
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SIXTL1~NTII CON(;l{I':SS (Jl! llll~ Rl'I'lJI11IC 
) 
01' '1'111' 1'IIII.II'I'INI·:S 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SI~NAII': 
s. No.~881) , 
Introduced by Senalor Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
INSITIU'I'IONALIZING '1'111,: LSTAIlLISHMEN'I' OF 
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!lEC -3 P 2 :32 
A WOMFN'S DJ<;SI( IN Al.1. INSTITUTIONS OF LIIGIlER LEARN1NG 
lie il enm:led hy llie Senale and Ihe /lollse oj'lIepresenlalives oj'the Philippines in 
C·ol1gre.l'.\ {{.I',\·cl/lh!ed: 
SI':( TION I. Shorl '!'ille. 
This Act shall be klluwn as the "Women's Desk Acl." 
SI,C'J'ION 2. 
iJec:i{{raliol1 '!l ['oliey. 
It is the policy or' the Statc to ensure that all 
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women .,tudents arc proiGcled (i'om all Corll1s of violence. Pursuant to this policy, the State shall 
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nHnlllate the creation 01' a wotrlen's dcsk in all institutions of higher learning, the aim of which 
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shall be the protectioll or women against all forms of violence in a comprehensive and 
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personali",cd manner which ,Idhercs to the national policics on women's rights and welfarc. 
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Si':CTION J. /Jefll'lilion oj'f'erilis. - For the purpose of this Act, the term 
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(A) 
"Women's desk" means an om"e within an institution 01' higher leal'lling whidl 
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focuses Oil receiving complaints o1'vio\cncc, ill any j-()I"I11, against \-VOlHen. 
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(Il) 
"hillcational institution" means an institution of higher learning, whether public 
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or private, including sUite universities \vith special charters. 
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(C) 
"Women's desk olTiccr" means any person in charge of managing the wOlllcn's 
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desk. 
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(Il) 
"WOlllcn victill1s or violence" means W011lCtl students who arc victin1S of' any 
IS 
J(lrIn orvioicnce, the violence occurring inside or outsicie the institution of higher learning. This 
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shall also include women emplnyecs "fthe institution. 


SI':CTION ,L J.;.I'ioh/i.l'itmcni oj {( Women ',I /)esk in insiillliions oj Higher {,earning; 
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(;O{//s, 
;\ women's desk shall be estahlished in aJl insli lui ions oj' higher lcarning throughout the 
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counll'Y, 
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The women's desks shall provide the f(lJlowing services: 
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(A) 
Support services such as counseling and relermls 10 other agencies j,)1' the 
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provision or othcl' needs such as shelter to the womcn victims of'violenec; 
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(II) 
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violence; 
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(C) 
(Il) 
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violcnce: 
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Cool'dinatioll with agencics Itlr medical services needed by women victims of 
Provide basic inltlrlnation on gcnder sensitivity and violcnce against womcn; 
])evclopmcnt of institutional guidelincs to protect women against any form of 
Provide psychosocial intcrvention such as individual and group therapy, crisis 
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counseling, lIlld stress management uclivitics; 
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Iniliale 'Idvocaey eff(llts such as production oj' materials lill' dissemination on 
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Issues reicY<IIlt 10 abuse or women, personal advocacy for Ihc individual and networking with 
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of her concerned agctlcics~ and 
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(C;) 
Conciuc1 research/studies to rully undcI'stancilhe scope of the prohlem of violence 
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against \VOl1lcn, 
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SI';CTION,'), {Jlla/ijicaiio/7.l'/iil' WOIIICIl'S Desk Officers, - C)llalilicatiolls lor women's 
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desk onicers shall be lilI'llllllatccl by the respeclive administration in the institution or higher 
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learning, ill coordinalion wilh the Ikpartment of Social Wellilrc and Devclopment (DSWD) ancl 
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lhc Commission Oil Iligher "dlleation (el lEU): l'J'()vided, Ihat all women's desk ofllccrs shall at 
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leasl be a graciu<llc or allY lilllr-yem social science eomse and has basic training in psychology, 
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SI<:(TION (l, 
(;lIitle/ines .Ii)}' Impiemenilllio!1, 
Within sixty (60) days from thc 
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ellec1ivily ol'lhis Act, (hc Secretary of Social Welll)re and DeVelopment and the Commissioners 
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01' the COlllmission on Iligher lidueation shall prol11ulgate and issue the implementing rules ancl 
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regulatiolls, including Ihe adminislrative penallics for violations ofthc provisions oflhis Act. 
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SI,:CTIUN 'I, Scp(fruhility CluI/se, 
II' allY provlslOn or part hereol' is held invalid or 
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uncolislilulional, Ihe rCl1lainder of' Ihe law or Ihc provision not othcrwise af'rccted shall remall1 
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valid and suhsisting, 
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Si':C'J'ION X, 
licpcaiing Clause, 
Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executivc 
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order, letlcr 01' instruction, ncll11inistralivc orcler, rule, or rcgllialion contrary to or inconsistent 
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with Ihe provisions ol'lhis Act is hereby repealed, mociiliecL or amended accordingly, 
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SJ-:CTION (J. 
FI/i,Uivily C/((II.I'<'.- This Act shall takc elfeet fifteen (15) days aftcr its 
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puhlicalion in at leastlwo (2) newspapcrs of gcneral circulatioll, 
Approved, 
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