DSWD ADDRESSES DOMESTIC ABUSE AMID QUARANTINE

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development in Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) is providing needed assistance to victims of abuse in homes while abiding with public health safety protocols.

DSWD-Davao Regional Director Grace Subong discussed how relevant it is for the agency to still maintain its service catering to individuals who have experienced any forms of abuse in households despite the limitations imposed by implementation of community quarantine in the region.

“With our current situation, our office has established designated help desks or numbers to cater to possible complaints, or to report on possible abuses,” Subong said.

The Davao City Police Office - Women and Children Protection Desk (DCPO - WCPD) alone has documented a total of 25 cases of sexual abuse during the span of time of imposed community quarantine from March 15 to June 30 of this year.

This is why DSWD-Davao is currently enhancing guidelines on how to handle reported abuses and management of referral systems while taking into consideration the imposed restrictions in Davao Region due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have modified our processes so we can still cater to cases of abuse and if there will be instances where counseling is needed we have to adapt to online methods in delivering our services since we understand the current limitations,” Subong added. /