THE statistics of women across the country being victims of numerous forms of abuse, even within the supposed safety of their own households, are severely underreported, according to the Philippine Obstetrical & Gynecological Society - Cebu Chapter (Pogs Cebu). The lack of accessible support systems traps countless women and children in a soundless prison, where their suffering is muted by stigma and societal pressures. Shining a light on women’s empowerment, Pogs Cebu is set to host a fundraising dinner concert on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.
Living up to their role as guardians of women’s health, these doctors aim to ramp up their program “Women & Children Protection,” where they have already developed a triage system to support victims, starting from the grassroots level and growing outward. Concert National Artist for Music, Ryan Cayabyab, along with his seven-piece powerhouse ensemble, the Ryan Cayabyab Singers, will host a special dinner concert. Cayabyab, a world-renowned icon of Original Pinoy Music, has been pivotal in sculpting the Philippines’ music, media and theater scene.
Cebuana pianist-singer-songwriter Kate Torralba, who has honed her craft under the guidance of the Maestro himself, will also perform. Torralba expressed that both she and Cayabyab are deeply passionate about this advocacy. “I support what they’re fighting for,” she said.
“I want to meet all of you and sing for you and say hello to Cebu, it’s going to be Ryan Cayabyab live in Cebu,” said Cayabyab via a virtual meeting during the press conference. Program A committee of Pogs Cebu, known as the Women and Children Protection Committee (WCPC), has been making significant strides in its mission to prevent, treat and rehabilitate victims of abuse. “One of the advocacies that are very rarely talked about and admittedly one of the advocacies that we rarely get funding for is the WCPC.
In 2023, the reported cases are about 18,000 all over the Philippines. Honestly, I feel that is severely underreported, and the perpetrator violence cycle is underreported. What we have in mind for Cebu, we already have advocacies in ramping up referral systems,” said Dr.
Mina Alferez, Pogs Cebu treasurer and spokesperson. As stewards of women’s health, the current vision of Pogs Cebu revolves around a three-pronged approach. First, they focus on prevention by reaching out to barangays to empower women with knowledge and direct them to appropriate resources.
They also train barangay healthcare workers to assist these women effectively and guide them to suitable healthcare centers. The second prong involves enhancing referral systems, including VAWC (Violence Against Women and Children) desks. Here, healthcare professionals receive specialized training to handle victims with sensitivity and care.
This organized system coordinates between various levels of healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive protection and forensic examination, working in conjunction with social workers from government care services. “Lastly, I feel the most important thing is rehab and recovery. We can’t just pick them up at the grassroots, treat them, and then let them go back to where they came from because it’s going to be an endless cycle.
So we want to make sure to be able to give these women and children a future where we can remove them from the cycle and establish financial independence,” said Alferez. These programs are designed to equip women with practical skills and qualifications that enhance their employability and entrepreneurial potential. “One of the programs that we started because we wanted to raise awareness, we at Pogs and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Women and Children Protection Center have organized ‘Lakaw Uban ni Inday’, this is to spread awareness and say that this is happening and even worse in the pandemic.
We call it the orange walk, we usually celebrate it every November,” said Dr. Beth De los Santos, Pogs Cebu vice president..
