Abusive behavior in homes being addressed by DSWD XI amid quarantine

DAVAO CITY, July 6 (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-XI (DSWD XI) is providing needed assistance to victims of abuse in homes while abiding with public health safety protocols.

The DSWD XI Regional Director Grace Subong discussed how relevant it is for DSWD to still maintain its service catering to individuals who have experienced any forms of abuse in households despite the limitations imposed by the implementation of community quarantine in the Davao 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 XI is currently enhancing guidelines on how to handle reported abuses and management of referral systems while taking into consideration the imposed restrictions in Region XI 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. (PIA XI/KPLCaro)