About 13 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence since age 15, according to the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).

In a chance interview with reporters on Friday, PCW Executive Director for Operations Maria Kristine Balmes said they are currently trying to address the help-seeking behavior of women.

"Yung help-seeking behavior yung medyo ina-address namin. Ang Pilipinas po ay merong inter-agency council on violence against women (VAW) and their children at kung pamilyar kayo sa 18-day campaign to end VAW tuwing November 25 to December 12, ito po yung ating itinutulak na kampanya kung saan ine-educate natin ang ating mga kababayan na maraming batas na poprotekta sayo, maraming ahensya na nandiyan para magbigay ng serbisyo para maprotektahan ka at pwede mong lapitan," Balmes told reporters.

(The help-seeking behavior is what we're addressing. The Philippines has an inter-agency council on violence against women and their children and if you're familiar with the 18-day campaign to end VAW every November 25 to December 12, this is the campaign we're pushing to educate our countrymen that many laws will protect you, many agencies are there to provide services to protect you and that you can approach).

"Bagamat mataas yung rate ng ating violence against women and children na nakabase naman sa mga rate ng nag-report ng mga kaso ng VAW, ito po ay kinakampanya namin na mas may magreklamo pa, mas may mag-report pa dahil ibig sabihin nun empowered na ang ating mga kababaihan at alam na nila ang kanilang mga karapatan at yung batas na poprotekta sa kanila," she added.

(Although the rate of our violence against women and children cases are high, which is based on the rates of those who report, this is what we're campaigning for, for more people to report because that means that our women is empowered and they already know their rights and already familiar with the laws that will protect them).

This, as she encouraged more women to report VAW cases against them.

She continued, "Bagamat tumataas, mas gusto namin dumadami yung nagre-report kaysa nananatili silang tahimik (Although it is increasing we prefer more people reporting than them remaining silent)."

Balmes said among the regions in the Philippines, Western Visayas and the National Capital Regions have the most number of women reporting VAW.

"Pinakamataas pa rin sa klase ng violence against women ay yung intimate partner relationship. Within the family yung violence na nangyayari (The highest kind of violence against women is still the intimate partner relationship. The violence is within the family)," she noted.

"Ang pinakamataas na klase ng violence against women maliban sa physical ay economic abuse. Kasama rin diyan yung mental abuse kasi ginagawa ng perpetrator na kapartner njla na pang blackmail sa mga asawang babae yung suporta (The highest type of violence against women other than physical is economic abuse. It is also includes mental abuse because the perpetrator who is a partner is blackmailing their wives for support)," she added.

In her report, Balmes said that nine percent of those who have ever had an intimate partner also reported that their partner exhibited at least three or more specific controlling behaviors.

Unfortunately, according to Balmes, only one in three or 34 percent of the women and girls who have experienced violence ever sought help to stop the violence.

Meanwhile, the region with the lowest number of reported VAW cases are regions in Mindanao.

"Hindi porket mababa, wala (Just because cases are low, it would already mean there are no cases)," she noted.

She, however, attributed this to "difficulty in reporting," "geographic location," and "cultural norms."

"Hindi pa rin ganoon ka-informed ang mga kababaihan pagdating sa violence against women at gender-based violence (Women are still not that informed when it comes to violence against women and gender-based violence)," Balmes said.

"Isa sa malaking problema pa rin natin yung cultural upbringing at social norms. Talagang kailangan pa siyang baguhin, kailangan pang ma-empower yung mga kababaihan, at mas ma-educate tungkol dito (Cultural upbringing and social norms are still one of our big problems. It really needs to be changed, women need to be empowered, and more educated about it."

'Dapt All Equal' campaign

Oxfam Pilipinas, in partnership with the PCW, on Friday welcomed the National Women's Month with the launch of its gender equality campaign calling for increased public and private sector financing to close gender gaps.

The "Dapat All Equal" campaign will run from 2024 to 2027.

During the launch, Oxfam Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Geronimo emphasized the need to address the barriers to women's economic empowerment by valuing and investing in unpaid care and domestic work, universal social protection for all, and support for women-led enterprises and community-based livelihoods.

Geronimo also stressed the call to increase public and private investment on live-saving gender-based violence (GBV) prevention programs and services by expanding programs and services for the prevention of GBV as well as strengthening referral pathways in normal times and during humanitarian crises.

She also underscored the need to establish a multi-sectoral approach to the establishment of an enabling social environment that prevents child marriage as part of the implementing rules and regulations of the law prohibiting child marriage.

The Philippines is ranked 12th with the highest rate of child marriage in the world, with one in every six girls getting married before the age of 18.