IACVAWC Resolution No. 5, s. 2018

RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT (DBM) ON THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE IACVAWC SECRETARIAT WITHIN THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION ON WOMEN (PCW) AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREOF

WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 9262, otherwise known as the “Anti-VAWC Act of 2004,” was signed into law by then President Gloria M. Macapagal-Arroyo during the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2004, and took effect on March 27, 2004;

WHEREAS, the law provides for the creation of the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IACVAWC), known as the Council, to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the Act and to eliminate violence against women and their children;

WHEREAS, the Council is composed of 12 members, namely, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), now Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with duties and responsibilities as defined in the Act;

WHEREAS, IACVAWC is mandated to serve as the lead coordinating and monitoring body with regard to VAWC initiatives in the country;

WHEREAS, there is a need for the Council to have a dedicated Secretariat to ensure the execution of its functions and to attend to its day-to-day operation;

WHEREAS, during its organizational meeting in 2004, the Council unanimously agreed to designate then NCRFW, now PCW, as its Secretariat by virtue of its mandate as the primary policy-making and coordinating body of women and gender equality concerns;

WHEREAS, from 2005 to 2013, the IACVAWC Secretariat was lodged under the Policy Development and Analysis Division (PDAD) of PCW with only one technical officer serving as the focal person for the Secretariat and its expenses were charged against the division’s budget;

WHEREAS, considering the volume and complexities of work expected from the Secretariat, PCW deemed it necessary to create a separate unit, under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Head of the IACVAWC Secretariat, and engage the services of four (4) staff on contract of service status effective FY 2015 with an annual budget of three (3) million pesos to cover staff salary and operating expenses;

WHEREAS, the creation of the IACVAWC Secretariat is provided under Section 58 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9262, including its functions, specifically: a) coordinate and monitor, under the direction of the Council, the implementation of the policies and guidelines promulgated by the Council; b) assist in establishing, maintaining and managing a central database on VAWC, wherever feasible; c) provide technical, secretariat, and record keeping and other services to the Council; and d) perform such other functions as may be needed by the Council;

WHEREAS, in addition to its functions as spelled out in the law, the IACVAWC Secretariat is also tasked to assist the Council in formulating and implementing its policies, plans, and programs, including those involving mobilization of agencies represented in the Council as well as other relevant government offices, task forces, and VAW mechanisms at the local level;

WHEREAS, for the last three (3) years, the IACVAWC Secretariat has been operating with a small budget and limited staff complement of only three technical officers and one administrative assistant, thus affecting the full delivery of the abovementioned functions;

WHEREAS, strengthening the structure of and increasing the budget of the IACVAWC Secretariat will help accelerate the implementation of RA 9262 towards realizing a gender-fair and violence-free community as operationalized in IACVAWC Strategic Plan and National Advocacy and Communication Plan for 2017-2022.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT HEREBY RESOLVED, by the IACVAWC members, to strongly appeal to DBM to create at least seven (7) regular plantilla positions for the Secretariat and increase its annual budget to cover operational expenses beginning FY 2019;

ADOPTED, this _____ of _____________, 2018, in Manila, Philippines.

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