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.

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

“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 25 November to 12 December, 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,” Balmes told reporters.

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

She encouraged more women to report VAW cases they are experiencing.

She continued: “Although they are increasing, we prefer more people reporting them than remaining silent.”

Balmes said that among the regions in the Philippines, Western Visayas and the National Capital Region had the most women reporting VAW.