Dangoyngoy sa Kahilum (series 1 to 6, 2011-2016) has evolved from a seminar on Gender Sensitivity and Gender Violence awareness into workshops that helped in Bridging the Gap (series 7 & 8) between the Barangay Women’s Desk , the police, the Pink Center (medical, psychological) and the legal department. Teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, OFWs and their families were the early participants, while the last 2 seminar-workshops focused on the women’s desk of the barangay and the police station, particularly the first responders. The aim was to develop a standardized procedure in handling cases of abuse.
The beneficiaries, of all the seminars through the years, have been the abused women and children. However, one major problem that surfaced was that some cases were dropped by the courts due to a poor referral system from the barangay to the police, and the courts. Zonta Cebu II gathered the service providers in Dangoyngoy 8, to ratify a unified, standardized intake form, and clarify the role of each in handling victims.
Despite the presence of Zonta in Mandaue City, through its livelihood and women’s health project, there had been requests from the Association of Barangay Captains for Zonta to extend its VAWC projects to Mandaue. Thus the first Dangoyngoy sa Kahilum in Mandaue City was conducted on February 2017.
Dangoyngoy sa Kahilum 1 Mandaue City took up the basics on gender-based violence with starter topics, such as family values, psycho-social effects of gender-based violence, laws protecting women and children, and intervention procedures. With a well-layed out foundation, the focal persons of the different barangays are better-equipped to handle the victims at the women’s desk.
