The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) said the Safer Cities initiative is helping strengthen the implementation of the Safe Spaces Act by improving public safety and reporting mechanisms for gender-based sexual harassment in communities.
During the DILG Kapihan media forum at the Quezon City Reception House, PCW Gender and Development (GAD) Specialist Patricia Beatriz R. Azanza said the initiative complements the law by creating safer environments where protections against harassment can be more effectively enforced.
“The Safe Spaces Act is the law and Safer Cities is the environment that makes the law easier to enforce,” Azanza said.
Launched in April this year, the DILG’s Safer Cities initiative promotes community policing, stricter enforcement of local ordinances, and crime-prevention measures to improve peace and order nationwide.
The program supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to build safer and more secure communities for all Filipinos.
Azanza said the initiative does not only focus on responding to cases of gender-based sexual harassment but also aims to encourage victims and witnesses to report incidents immediately.
“Hindi lang (natin) tinutugunan yung mga cases ng sexual harassment. Binabago din natin ang disenyo ng public spaces para tuluyan nang mawalan ng espasyo ang pambabastos,” she said.
Under the Safe Spaces Act, local government units (LGUs) are required to adopt measures that enhance safety in public areas, including installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on roads, alleys, and sidewalks to improve monitoring and support enforcement efforts.
The PCW said the Safer Cities initiative also strengthens barangay-level protection systems by encouraging reports through Anti-Sexual Harassment (ASH) Desks and Violence Against Women (VAW) Desks.
These mechanisms aim to make government assistance more accessible to victims of harassment and abuse.
“Mas nai-encourage natin yung reporting mechanism para yung mga kababaihan, persons with diverse SOGIESC, mga bata at kahit mga kalalakihan ay mag-report ng kanilang mga karanasan patungkol sa sexual harassment,” Azanza said.
As part of its efforts to raise awareness of the Safe Spaces Act, the PCW partnered with SM Supermalls to educate mall employees, tenants, and security personnel on proper procedures for handling and reporting sexual harassment cases.
“Pinalawak po natin yung awareness ng ating mga employees sa mall kung saan po sila puwedeng mag-report ng cases of sexual harassment and kung ano yung kanilang dapat gawin kapag po merong mga customers na lumapit sa kanila (na nabiktima nito),” Azanza said.
The DILG and PCW reaffirmed their commitment to working with LGUs and private sector partners to strengthen the implementation of the Safe Spaces Act and expand the Safer Cities initiative.
Both agencies said the goal is to ensure that public spaces remain safe, inclusive, and free from gender-based harassment for all Filipinos.