THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
-* 
C'r -$ 
;'.c 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
? " *  
Third Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Violence against women has been defined in the United Nations Declaration on 
the Elimination of Violence Against Women: 
"Violence Against Women (VAW) is any act of gender-based 
violence that results in, o r i s  likely to result in, physical, sexual or 
psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, 
coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or 
in private life." 
In year 2000, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that in 
the first six months of 2000 there were 4,468 reports of women in "especially difficult 
circumstances". Nearly half of the cases are reported to have involved physical abuse, 
maltreatment and battery while 14 percent reportedly involved sexual abuse. 
When crime, drugs, and violence spill over from the streets into the schools, 
providing a safe learning environment becomes increasingly difficult. Creating such an 
environment where students can learn depends on a partnership among students, parents, 
teachers, and other community institutions. School violence can be presented by taking 
action to protect students, particularly women students, who can be victims of 
discrimination and violence. 
To help improve safety of women students within educational institutions, it is 
important that school administrations establish offices that focus on formulating policies 
and guidelines on how to promote school security and student safety by training school 
personnel in conflict resolution, problem solving, drug prevention, crisis intervention, 
cultural sensitivity, classroom management, and counseling skills. 


This bill seeks to address violence in educational institutions by mandating the 
creation of a women’s desk in all such institutions. Its aim shall be to serve women 
students by protecting them against all forms of violence in a comprehensive and 
personalized manner which adheres to the national policies on women’s protection. A 
women’s desk will also focus on receiving complains of violence against women and 
strive to help victims recover. 
DE eb.P 
NSORSANTIA 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
I 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
,: 
x r  -Li 
p .% 
Third Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 
A WOMEN’S DESK IN ALL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. l’his Act shall be known as the “Women’s Desk Act of 
2006” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It shall be the policy of the State to promote 
the protection of rights of all women students to ensure that they are protected from all 
forms of violence. Pursuant to this policy, the State shall address violence in educational 
institutions by mandating the creation of a women’s desk in all such institutions, the aim 
of which shall be the protection of women against all forms of violence in a 
comprehensive and personalized manner which adheres to the national policies on 
women’s rights and welfare. 
SECTION 3. De$nition of Terms. - For this purpose of this Act, the term 
(A) “Women’s desk” means an office within an educational institution which 
focuses on receiving complaints of violence, in any form, against women. 
“Educational institution” means any educational institution whether public 
or private as well as state universities with special charters. 
(C) “Women’s desk officer” means any person in charge of managing the 
women’s desk. 
(B) 


(D) “Women victims of violence” means women students who are victims of 
any form of violence, the violence occurring in school or outside the 
learning institution. 
SECTION 4. Establishment of a Women ‘s Desk in every Educational Institution; 
Goals. - It is hereby ordered that a women’s desk shall be established in every 
educational institution throughout the country. 
The goals of establishing a women’s desk in every educational institution are the 
following: 
(A)The adoption of a systematic approach to the management complaints by 
women students of being victims of any form of violence; 
(B)The esblishment of an office within every school to focus particularly in 
receiving complaints of violence of any form against women students. The 
women’s desk office will also provide needs of women survivors of violence 
such as counseling and advice. 
SECTION 5. Services Provided by Women ’s Desks. The services to be provided 
by women’s desks are the following: 
(A) Support services such as counseling and referrals to other agencies for the 
provision other needs such as shelter to the women victims of violence; 
(B) Coordination with agencies for medical services needed by women victims 
of violence; 
(C) Provide basic information on gender sensitivity and violence against 
women; 
(D) Development of institutional guidelines to protect women against any form 
of violence: 


(E) Provide psychosocial intervention such as individual and group therapy, 
crisis counseling and stress management activities; 
(F) Initiate advocacy efforts such as production of materials for dissemination 
on issues relevant to abuse of women, personal advocacy for the individual 
and networking with other concerned agencies; and 
(G) Conduct researchesktudies to fully understand the scope of the problem of 
violence against women. 
SECTION 6. Qualijkations for Women’s Desk Oflcers. Qualifications for 
women’s desk officers shall be formulated by the respective school administrations in 
coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd). 
Provided, that all women’s desk officers shall at least be a graduate of any four year 
social science course and has basic training in psychology. 
SECTION I. Guidelines for Implementalion. The Department of Social Welfare 
and Development, the Department of Education, and the Commission on Higher 
Education shall be responsible for the drafting of the Implementing Rules and 
Regulations, including penalties for violations of the provisions of this Act, within 60 
days after its adoption. 
SECTION 8. Implementing Agencies. The implementing agencies for this Act 
shall be the following, in coordination with the respective school administrations: 
(A) 
(B) 
Department of Education 
(C) 
Commission on Higher Education 
Department of Social Welfare and Development 


SECTION 9. Sepurubilily Cluuse. If any provision or part thereof, is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 10. 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. 
SECTION 1 1. Efectivily Clause. This Act shall talte effect fifteen (1 5) days after 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved. 
RCC/8-5-06