Tacloban City – In strong support to the national government’s goal of eliminating all forms of violence against women and their children (VAWC), the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), a staunch gender advocate, conducted a hybrid lecture on R.A. No. 9262 or the “Anti-VAWC Act of 2004” and R.A. No. 11313 otherwise known as the “Safe Spaces Act” on 10 December 2022.

The resource speaker, Atty. Renelyn J. Villegas, Assistant Regional Prosecutor of the Department of Justice-National Prosecution Service Regional Office VIII, provided a comprehensible discussion of the laws’ salient provisions, as well as their foundational and contextual support. She also thoroughly explained their core provisions including the penalties and the mechanisms in place aimed at preventing gender-based sexual harassment in public spaces, schools, workplaces, and cyberspace. Her informative lecture, followed by relevant discussions about the laws, amplified the participants’ knowledge and understanding of gender-based sexual harassment and its associated consequences and penalties.

The lecture was attended by eighty-five (85) participants composed of NMP trainees, maritime cadets from Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs), officials and residents of Brgy. 97, Cabalawan, Tacloban City and some NMP employees. Informative pamphlets/leaflets, VAW-free advocacy keychain with whistle, notebooks and pens were also distributed to all on-site participants.

Other NMP activities in support of the said campaign were the hanging of the 2022 18-Day Campaign to End VAW official streamer and uploading same in the Agency’s website and FB page, distribution of Anti-VAWC shirts and playing of various advocacy videos.

Meanwhile, other NMP GAD advocacy programs for the year, include among others, the face-to-face conduct of Gender Sensitivity Training for Seafarers (GSTS) supplemented by the virtual GSTS, continuous review of instruction materials to prevent gender biases and stereotype, conduct of gender-related maritime researches and various activities for the promotion of the seafaring profession both to males and females.