The Hague, 16 December 2021 -- Help is available for community members if ever any one of them becomes a victim of domestic violence. This was stressed by Ms. Diana Oosterbeek-Latoza, a Social Cultural Worker, at an online forum on preventing and combating domestic violence against women (VAW) hosted on December 8 by the Philippine Embassy in The Hague.

Ms. Oosterbeek-Latoza said that victims of domestic violence should tell a friend, inform the family doctor, report to the police, or seek help from organizations assisting victims of domestic violence. Ms. Oosterbek-Latoza is the founding chairperson of Stichting Bayanihan Centrum voor Filippijnse Vrouwen in Nederland (Bayanihan Foundation, Centre for Filipino Women in The Netherlands), a self-help women’s organization founded over 30 years ago with the aim of advancing the participation, integration and emancipation of Filipinas in the Netherlands.

The Embassy partnered with Stichting Bayanihan on the conduct of the forum “In Defense of Women,” a discussion on Philippine and Dutch laws that aim to protect and combat violence against women, as part of this year’s 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya underscored the importance of the forum. “A majority of the Filipinos who live in the Netherlands are women, and we hope that the forum will be an effective tool to create awareness in the community about the issue and the help and support services that are available to victims,” he said.

The forum featured resource persons representing different areas of expertise in the women’s rights advocacy field.

Law Professor Ryan Jeremiah D. Quan, Program Officer of the Graduate Legal Studies Institute of the Ateneo de Manila University Law School, discussed the relevant Philippine laws on the subject, notably Republic Act No. 9262 (the Anti-violence against Women and their Children Act), Republic Act No. 7877 (the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act), and Republic Act No. 11313 (the Safe Spaces Act or “Bawal Bastos Law”).

Prof. Quan’s presentation complements this year’s campaign slogan “Filipino Marespeto; Safe Spaces, Kasali Tayo,” which highlights the recently enacted Safe Spaces Act. The latter law has expanded gender-based sexual harassment from workplace, educational and training institutions to include those committed in the streets and public spaces, and online.

Examples of sexual harassment covered by the Safe Spaces Act are unwanted sexual misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist remarks and comments online whether on public posts or through private messages, invasion of the victim’s privacy through cyber stalking and incessant messaging, recording or sharing any of the victim’s photos, videos, or information without permission, impersonating victims’ identities and posting lies about victims to harm their reputation, and filing false abuse reports to online platforms to silence victims.

Lawyer Pendong Jalandoni, on the other hand, presented the relevant Dutch laws on violence against women. In his more than 20 years of experience in the practice of Dutch law, he has handled domestic abuse cases involving Filipinos in the Netherlands. Aside from this, his fields of practice are personal and family law, employment law, social security law, and immigration law.

The online forum was moderated by Atty. Rea Abada Chiongson, Senior Legal Advisor on Gender of the International Development Law Organization. She noted the significance of the forum as there has been a rise of the incidence of domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. The preparations for the forum was led by Atty. Marisar Ivy C. Cabatingan, the Embassy’s legal officer and GAD focal point.

For victims of domestic violence, the Bayanihan Stichting can be reached at www.bayanihan.nl, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and helpline 0616367125. Other support services include the Arosa Foundation (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 010-4769044; domestic violence hotline (huiselijkgeeld meld punt) – 0900-1262626, and the police – 112.

Victims of domestic violence can also report to any pharmacy in the Netherlands using the code word “Masker 19”. This is part of the Dutch Government’s efforts to make reporting domestic violence more accessible. From 1 May 2020, all pharmacies in the Netherlands can take action when someone mentions the code word. If a victim uses the code word 'masker 19' at the pharmacy, and is alone, the pharmacist invites them to call Safe Home together in a separate room. If the victim visits the pharmacy with someone else, the pharmacist will directly contact Safe at Home. Reporting domestic violence via a code word at the pharmacy has already been introduced in a number of other countries such as Italy, France and Spain. END