PASIG CITY, 25 November 2024 – The Department of Education urges its field offices and schools to join the 18-day campaign to end violence against women and children (VAWC) from November 25 to December 10, 2024.

Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Fatima Lipp Panontongan encouraged DepEd offices, including the Central, Regional, Schools Division Offices (SDOs), and schools, as well as private basic education institutions to observe activities related to the campaign.

“We encourage everyone to participate and to help foster a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment,” Usec. Panontongan noted.

According to the DepEd Memo No. 65, s. 2024, DepEd will be conducting a culminating activity designed to ensure the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) among women and children in the basic education sector.

Among the activities DepEd field offices and schools may accomplish are the inclusion of VAW-related presentations during flag ceremonies, display of campaign banners, development of materials related to VAW, and conduct of other VAW-related activities such as discussions, orientations, and learning sessions.

Likewise, DepEd also encourages the field offices and schools to conduct their own activities in their jurisdiction and in accordance with the DepEd Memo.

Women and children account for much of DepEd’s constituents. As of May 2024, DepEd is uplifted by 705,258 female teaching personnel, 44,477 female non-teaching staff, and 34,480 teaching-related workers. DepEd serves an estimated total of 27 million learners across the country.

Spearheaded by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), this year’s sub-theme observance “VAW Bigyang-Wakas, Ngayon na ang Oras!” aims to highlight the 20 years of achievements in addressing VAW by marking two decades of the Anti-VAWC Act (RA 9262).

For more information and coordination, contact the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-Employee Welfare Division Gender and Development Secretariat through gfps.secretariat@deped.gov.ph or at (02) 8633-7229.

END