Iloilo city: The Regional Women and Children Protection Desk (RWCPD) of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) has outlined measures to combat domestic violence in the region. Capt. Merry Chris dela Cruz, chief of the PRO-6 RWCPD, emphasized the importance of addressing these issues beyond mere statistics, acknowledging that many cases may remain unreported.
According to Philippines News Agency, Capt. dela Cruz highlighted the findings of the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) during a dissemination forum. Emotional violence experienced a slight decrease from 18 percent in 2022 to 15.9 percent in 2025, but physical violence rose from 6.7 percent to 8.1 percent, and sexual violence increased from 2.5 percent to 3.1 percent. To tackle these issues, she recommended several strategies, including enhancing prevention through education and community awareness, improving access to survivor-centered services and police response, and fostering data-driven policy and governance.
Capt. dela Cruz stressed the need for economic empowerment of survivors and strengthening multisectoral coordination and accountability. She called for turning the survey findings into stronger protection, stricter enforcement, and better support for survivors. The PRO-6 plans to lead an information campaign with the backing of schools, churches, and local leaders and aims to further bolster the Women and Children Protection Desk in every police station. Personnel will be trained in law and in handling cases with compassion, confidentiality, and sensitivity.
Barangays will be trained as frontline partners to respond effectively and compassionately. The 2025 NDHS identified Western Visayas as a high-risk region for emotional and sexual violence, guiding the region's deployment, training priorities, and operations. Capt. dela Cruz emphasized the importance of strengthening case monitoring and reporting systems to ensure every incident is recorded, tracked, and analyzed.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that 18.3 percent of women aged 15 to 49 years with a husband or intimate partner have experienced some form of physical, emotional, or sexual violence. The region ranks third in the country for the highest incidence of sexual violence, fourth for physical abuse, and seventh for emotional abuse.
