Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) actively joined the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 8 in the Culminating Activity of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) and the Eastern Visayas Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Persons Assembly. Held on December 16, 2025, at the Radiant Hotel in Tacloban City, the event centered on the theme “United for a VAW-Free Philippines.” This theme underscores the critical need for collective, transformative action to address and eradicate violence against women, fostering safer educational and community environments through policy implementation, awareness, and institutional accountability.
Dr. Maximo C. Aljibe, CHED Regional Office 8 Director, delivered the welcome remarks, emphasizing the essential synergy among state universities and colleges (SUCs) and HEIs to combat VAW effectively. He highlighted how unified strategies amplify impact in prevention and response efforts.
Key presentations provided substantive insights: Mr. Leo Christian V. Lauzon, an accredited member of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Resource Pool, elucidated Republic Act No. 11313, known as the Safe Spaces Act or Bawal Bastos Law. This legislation establishes robust protections against sexual harassment in public spaces, workplaces, and educational settings, promoting accountability and victim support. Engr. Nelly L. Labrada, CHED GAD Focal Person, presented data on VAW cases within SUCs and HEIs in the region, alongside best practices for mitigation. She stressed that sustained commitment, data-driven interventions, and inter-institutional collaboration are indispensable to achieving a VAW-free society.
The assembly, attended by GAD Focal Persons from SUCs and HEIs across Region 8, concluded successfully, reinforcing networks for ongoing advocacy and compliance with national gender equality mandates. EVSU was represented by Dr. Glenda B. Tupaz, EVSU GAD Director, and Atty. Rodolph B. Hernandez, Jr., President of the Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere (MOVE) and Head of the Legal Office.
This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
via Dr. Glenda B. Tupaz | Gender and Development (GAD) Office
