Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XV, Section 1 states that: 
The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. 
Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total 
development. 
Family violence does not necessarily cease when family victims are legally separated 
or otherwise not sharing a household. In fact, it even escalates following separation 
and the child custody and visitation arrangements become the new forum for the 
continuation of abuse or violence.  
Some perpetrators of violence use the children as pawns to control the abused party 
and to commit more violence during separation. Fathers who batter mothers are twice 
as likely to seek sole custody of their children. In these circumstances, if the abusive 
father loses custody, he is more likely to continue the threats to the mother through 
other legal actions. 
This bill aims to protect children from the trauma of witnessing or experiencing violence 
or abuse during parent-child visitation and visitation exchanges by providing safe 
havens for parents and children, during visitation and visitation exchanges shall 
promote continuity and stability. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
August 3, 2023
2:05 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS 
FOR SUPERVISED VISITATION CENTERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Safe Havens for Children 
Act.” 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall protect the rights and promote the 
welfare of children in keeping with the mandate of the Constitution and the precepts 
of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. – For the purposes of this Act the term: 
(A)
“Secretary” means the secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development;
(B)
“Family violence” means any act or threatened act of violence, including any
forceful detention of an individual, which –
(1)
Results or threatens to result in physical injury; and
(2)
Is committed such person is or was related by blood or marriage or
otherwise legally related or with whom such person is or was lawfully
residing.
(C)
“Shelter” means the provision of temporary refuge and related assistance in
compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing the provision, on a
regular basis, of shelter, safe homes, meals, and related assistance to the
dependents of the victims of family violence.
(D)
“Related Assistance” means direct assistance to victims of family violence and
then defendants for the purpose of preventing further violence, helping such
victims to gain access to civil and criminal courts and other community services,
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facilitating the efforts of such victims to make decisions concerning their lives 
in the interest of safety, and assisting such victims in healing from the effects 
of the violence, with such assistance to include prevention services, peer 
counseling, and children’s counseling and support services. Related assistance 
shall include – 
(1) 
Prevention services such as outreach and prevention services for victims 
and their children, employment training, parenting and other education 
services for victims and their children, preventive health services within 
domestic violence programs (including nutrition, disease prevention, 
exercise of substance abuse), domestic violence prevention programs 
for school age children, family violence public awareness campaigns, 
and violence prevention counseling services to abusers;  
(2) 
Counseling with respect to family violence, counseling or other 
supportive services by peers individually or in groups, and referral to 
community social services;  
(3) 
Transportation technical assistance with respect to obtaining financial 
assistance under government programs, and referrals for appropriate 
health care services (including alcohol and drug abuse treatment), but 
shall not include reimbursement for any health care services; 
(4) 
Legal advocacy to provide victims with information and assistance 
through the civil and criminal courts, and legal assistance; or  
(5) 
Children’s counseling and support services, and child care services for 
children who are victims of family violence or the dependents of such 
victims. 
 
Sec. 4. Grants to Local Government Units to Provide for Supervised Visitation 
Centers. – 
(A) 
In General. – The Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development is authorized to award grants to local government units to enable 
local government units to establish and operate supervised visitation centers 
for the purposes of facilitating supervised visitation and visitation exchange. 
(B) 
Considerations. – In awarding such grants, under paragraph (A), the Secretary 
shall take into account – 
(1) 
The number of families to be served by the proposed visitation center to 
be established under the grant;  
(2) 
The extent to which the proposed supervised visitation centers served 
underserved populations; and  
(3) 
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates cooperation and 
collaboration with advocates in the local community served. 
(C) 
Use of Funds. – 
(1) 
In General. – Amounts provided under a grant awarded under this 
Section shall be used to establish supervised visitation centers and for 
the purposes described in Section 3.  
(2) 
Applicant Requirements. – The Secretary shall award grants, under this 
Act in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may 
promulgate. The Secretary shall give priority in awarding grants under 
this Act to local government units that consider domestic violence in 
making a custody decision. 
 


 
Sec. 5. Reporting and Evaluation. –  
(A)  
Not later than sixty (60) days after the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report that includes information concerning — 
(1) 
The number of individuals served and the number of individuals turned 
away from services categorized by local government units and the type 
of presenting problems that underlie the need for supervised visitation or 
visitation exchange, such as domestic violence, child abuse, sexual 
assault, emotional or other physical abuse, or a combination of such 
factors; 
(2) 
The numbers of supervised visitations or visitation exchanges ordered 
during custody determinations under a separation or divorce decree or 
protection order, through child protection services, or through other 
social services agencies; 
(3) 
The process by which children or abused partners are protected during 
visitations, temporary custody transfers and other activities for which the 
supervised visitation centers are created;  
(4) 
Safety and security problems occurring during the reporting period 
during supervised visitations or at visitation centers including the number 
of parental abduction cases;  
(5) 
The number of parental abduction cases in a judicial district using 
supervised visitation services, both as identified in criminal prosecution 
and custody violations; and  
(6) 
Any other appropriate information designated in regulations promulgated 
by the Secretary. 
(B)  
Evaluation. – In addition to submitting the reports required under paragraph (1), 
a local government unit receiving a grant under this Act shall have a collateral 
agreement with the court, the child protection social services division of the 
government, and local domestic violence agencies or national and local 
domestic violence coalitions to evaluate the supervised visitation center 
operated under the grant. The entities conducting such evaluations shall submit 
a narrative evaluation of the center to both the center and the grantee. 
 
Sec. 6. Appropriation. – To carry out the provisions of this act, such sum as may be 
necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
Thereafter, the sum necessary for the continuous operation of the programs shall be 
include in the annual appropriation of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development. 
 
Sec. 7. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the reminder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
 
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or 
inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 


 
 
Sec. 9. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,