The IACVAWC Secretariat is developing a National Service Directory to manage an integrated and well-coordinated Violence Against Women (VAW) Referral System. The project is expected to map out existing mechanisms and gather programming and policy development inputs. It also aims to encourage help-seeking behaviors among victim-survivors by promoting available programs and services relevant to their needs.

The National Service Directory shall contain information on services and facilities that can be accessed by VAWC victim-survivors and their families and provided by the government, private sector, non-government, and civil society organizations.

PCW also made an online version of the tool for easier access and submission of the Local Committees on Anti-Trafficking (LCAT)-VAWCs. The DILG issued a Joint Memorandum Circular urging the cooperation of all LGU Chief Executives in implementing the VAW mapping project with added provisions on using their respective Gender and Development (GAD) Budgets for funding support.

In 2009, the IACVAWC issued and adopted the Guidelines in the Establishment and Management of a Referral System on Violence Against Women and Children at the Local Government Unit Level because a single facility or organization could not fully provide all the services needed by VAW victim-survivors.

The guidelines include fundamental concepts and principles related to operating a referral system and considerations for effective protocol implementation and means for evaluation. The referral system helps ensure that victim-survivors can access medical, legal, psychosocial, and protective interventions regardless of their entry point in the network of service providers. The guidelines were issued through IACVAWC Resolution No. 4, Series of 2009, and DILG also issued Memorandum Circular No. 2012-61 to further disseminate its adoption to the local level.

Despite the issuance of guidelines, it was observed that the mechanisms both at the national and local levels were still limited to a loosely coordinated system. At most, LGUs only had informal referrals with minimal documentation. Service providers were not fully capacitated in tracking their referrals to check whether victims received the necessary assistance. This prompted the Council Secretariat to conduct a series of consultation-workshops to enhance the referral guidelines based on challenges identified on the ground.

Workshop results showed that while the guidelines were informative, there was still an underlying need for LGUs to document their respective VAW services and facilities first. PCW led the development of standard tools, and DILG issued a Memorandum Circular No. 2021-093 authorizing LGUs to use their Gender and Development (GAD) budgets in carrying out the mapping activity.

Although Barangays provide frontline service to VAW victim-survivors, they are not covered by the mapping guidelines and, therefore, are optional to accomplish the tools.