Typhoon Bopha/Pablo Situation Report (21 January): Police sets up help desks for GBV and trafficking cases in typhoon-affected areas
Nearly 700 more women received services from medical missions conducted in the past week. Information sessions to prevent and respond to cases of gender-based violence have also reached 1,785 Pablo-affected women and girls. The information sessions are conducted alongside RH medical missions and hygiene kit distributions both in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. The Philippine National Police has set up Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPD) in Davao Oriental. These desks are mandated to report incidents of any illegal recruitment, anti-trafficking in person activities, or any incident of gender-based violence in Baganga, Boston and Cateel, the areas most affected by typhoon Pablo in Davao Oriental.
NEEDS
Reproductive Health: Technical support to local health officials on the implementation of Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health, including Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH), in emergency is should continue. Health service providers to support RH medical missions are still needed, particularly for pre/post-natal care. Supply of dignity kits for pregnant and lactating women should also continue.
Gender-Based Violence: Evacuation camps need separate toilets for males and females with proper lighting as a preventive mechanism for GBV. There is a need for psychosocial counsellors for targeted psychosocial interventions, especially for women and girls. Hygiene kits continue to be a significant non-food relief item for female evacuees. Women-friendly spaces, information campaign on GBV, survivor-centered multi-sectoral response services and local level referral mechanisms are urgently required for prevention of and response to GBV. Only one provider of medico-legal service for clinical management of rape is available per province.
RESPONSE
Reproductive Health: RH medical missions were conducted in Barangays Poblacion and Andap in New Bataan, Compostela Valley. The mission served 109 pregnant women in Poblacion who received prenatal care, health information sessions and hygiene kits. In Andap, 274 women attended the information session and received hygiene kits. The missions were led by the Municipal Health Office, with the support of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), Philippine National Police (PNP), DKT International, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
In the Municipality of Laak, also in Compostela Valley, the first RH medical mission was conducted by the Compostela Valley Provincial Hospital. It provided prenatal services to 25 pregnant women, as well as health info sessions and hygiene kits, along with 146 other women of reproductive age.
In Davao Oriental, medical mission were conducted in Barangay Ban-ao, Baganga, and Barangay Mainit, Cateel. Fifty-one pregnant women availed of prenatal services, while 50 breastfeeding mothers availed of postnatal care and family planning counselling. Their babies also received newborn care during the medical mission. Hygiene kits were given to 101 pregnant and lactating women who also attended health information sessions.
Thirty-seven youth volunteers from Boston, Cateel and Baganga supporting the medical missions were trained on Adolescent Sexual Health and Rights in Emergencies (ASHRiE). The training covered key messages on the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for RH in emergency and data management. These are expected to improve their skills as they support the conduct of RH outreach tp affected communities.
Gender-Based Violence: In Davao Oriental, women-friendly spaces (WFS) were opened in Barangay Mainit, Cateel and another in Barangay Campawan, Baganga in partnership with MSWDO, Plan International, local women’s organizations and UNFPA. An orientation was conducted for 70 women affected by the typhoon, highlighting key messages on the prevention of GBV and operationalization of the WFS.
In terms of GBV information sessions, the PNP and MSWDO has already reached out to 1,785 Pablo-affected women and girls alongside RH medical missions and hygiene kit distributions both in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. These women and girls also received IEC materials (fans) with contact details for GBV case referrals. The Department of Justice oriented 52 women in New Bataan, Compostela Valley on how to prevent illegal recruitment and human trafficking. The PNP set up Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPD) at the Incident Command Posts of Baganga, Boston and Cateel in Davao Oriental. These desks are mandated to report incidents of any illegal recruitment, anti-trafficking in person activities, or any incident of gender-based violence in those areas.
Through ChildAlert volunteers, psychosocial sessions were provided to 239 pregnant and lactating women during RH medical mission in Baganga. An orientation on GBV prevention and response was organized for barangay captains, councilors, school teachers and community women leaders in Baganga. GBV and CP sub clusters/MIACAT-VAWCs have been activated at the municipal level in Cateel, Baganga and Boston.
GAPS
Reproductive Health: The limited number of health staff hampers also limits provision to of RH services to those affected by the typhoon. Data on affected health facilities, which are needed to plan for RH outreach missions, are incomplete.
Gender-Based Violence: Awareness about women’s rights and causes and consequences of GBV are low among affected women and girls. There is also lack of agreed standards and coordination among psychosocial service providers in the affected areas. Functional shelter or crisis center for women at the municipal level should be established.
(The situation report can be downloaded from the link below)
