Cotabato City government highlights women’s month

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT --- Cotabato City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi cites important contributions of women in the society during a press briefing which marked the culmination of the Women’s Month celebration. (GILMHAR A. LAO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

COTABATO CITY --- Thelocal government here highlighted the strong points of women during the culmination program of the Women’s Month last March 27 which carries the theme: “We Make Change Work for Women.”

In a press briefing, City MayorAtty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi said that   many women at the present time are already empowered, citing their placements in various executive and legislative posts and their triumphs in other parts of society.

“However, they only contribute at least 20 percent on said posts and that is why it is still a big challenge for them to go further with the flow of the changing times. Women empowerment should be encouraged because it is timely and relevant,” said Mayor Guiani-Sayadi.

Guiani-Sayadiadded thatthe rise of female leadership could be attributed  to their “sincerity” as proven by many of the gender at work.

“Well, I am not saying men are not, but clearly women are certainly more sensitive in the needs of the community,” the mayor said.

City Councilor Christina Chua, committee chair on women, said the SangguniangPanlungsod (SP) has already passed an ordinance further strengtheningthe welfare of the women sector.

“The Gender and Development Code of Cotabato City was passed which eliminates gender biases in all policies, maintains gender fairness, and protects them against all forms of violence,” said Chua.

In regards to Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC),Guiani-Sayadi stressed that it is their goal to fully implement the Magna Cartaof Women (MCW) down to the barangay level.

“I've had talks with the barangay chairmen of the city for them to be aware and sensitive on VAWC,” she said.

However, the local chief executive would want to clear up some cases of VAWC where their records don’t match with those of the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.

“Some of these cases were transient. The victims would tell us they were residents of the city but they are not. Truth is, they actually reside in nearby municipalities and at times they are only using the address of their relatives here in Cotabato City. I am very particular with this because I would always check the records,” she said.

Guiani-Sayadi said “it is a must” that we make the rights real in the lives of women and girls.

“Definitely, cases of violence against women should stop so we must commit to the full implementation of the Magna Carta of Women,” she added.

In line with the Women’s Month celebration, the city government has previously inaugurated its Women Crisis Centerlocated at the Social Development Center Compound in the city.

The center is one of the flagship projects of the late city mayor Japal J. Guiani, Jr. which was continued by Guiani-Sayadi.

The center was constructed by phase and completed in 2016. With an over-all budget of about P5-M, the facility can accommodate some 24 clients at a time. It has three bedrooms good foreight people, a kitchen and dining area, a receiving office, a training room, and comfort rooms.

Cheribin Mena K. Viloria, the city social welfare officer, said the crisis center is provided with a training room as the city government plans to equip the admitted women with skills development trainings, such as sewing, to help them develop themselves, become more productive, and most importantly, help them move on from the trauma that they have experienced because of the abuses they have gone through.

“The first intervention that we will make is the psycho social phase followed by  legal and medical assistance for women survivors that includes counselling services. The second objective is to empower the abused women and children through educational skills and life skills and to facilitate the other services and resources in other offices,” Viloria said.

Viloria also revealed that Cotabato City has recorded a high number of violence against women and children victims in 2016. However, she refused to give exact details on the cases for “confidentiality and safety of the victims.”

“As we open the WCC, we envision the provision of immediate access and effective crisis intervention and support and attention to the victims and women survivors. We also empower the victims of rape, sexual abused, and domestically abused to gain self-esteem and self-sufficiency and to move beyond being a victim to become a strong survivor,”Mayor Guiani-Sayadi added.

Among those present during the press briefing were Cotabato City Women Council chairpersonJo Demit-Manandil, Kaagapay OFW Executive Director GoldyOmelio, Shirley P. Salik of the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, and KALIPI Federation chairperson Marilyn Maguindanao. (GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE B. ACOSTA– MINDANAO EXPOSE’)