AN ACT DECLARING NOVEMBER TWENTY-FIVE OF EVERY YEAR AS "NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN"

Fifteenth Congress

Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand twelve.

REPUBLIC ACT No. 10398

AN ACT DECLARING NOVEMBER TWENTY-FIVE OF EVERY YEAR AS "NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN"

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. In recognition of the need to establish a comprehensive and structured campaign for national consciousness on anti-violence against women, November 25 of every year is hereby declared as the "National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children".

Section 2. The following activities shall be undertaken in observance of this occasion:

Section 3. The National Statistics Office, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Foreign Affairs and all Philippine embassies and consulates shall, in coordination with the PCW, undertake the data gathering and systematization of a database on all forms of violence against women and children, including Filipino women and children working and/or residing abroad. These agencies shall consolidate their findings and make a report to the public on the statistics and status of violence against women and children every November 25 of each year.

Section 4. The PCW and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), constituted under Section 20 of Republic Act No. 9208 or the "Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003″ and the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Their Children (IAC-VAWC), constituted under Section 39 of or the "Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004″, shall coordinate, monitor and evaluate the activities outlined in the annual eighteen (18)-day campaign at the national level.

At the regional level, the Regional Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Trafficking-Violence Against Women and Their Children (RIACAT-VAWC) shall likewise coordinate, monitor and evaluate said activities for the annual campaign at the provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels. They shall also make an annual report of their findings to be reported to the public every November 25.

The PCW, the IACAT and the IAC-VAWC shall likewise coordinate and tap the expertise of other government agencies and institutions like the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), as well as other private sector organizations in the implementation of activities for the eighteen (18)-day campaign.

Section 5. Funds for the implementation of the aforestated activities, programs and projects shall be taken out of the five percent (5%) Gender and Development budget allocated to all government agencies and local government units, as mandated by Section 36 of or "The Magna Carta of Women".

Section 6. If, for any reason, any section or provision of this Act is held to be unconstitutional or invalid, the validity of other sections herein shall not be affected thereby.

Section 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2080 and House Bill No. 4434 was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 17, 2012 and January 21, 2013, respectively.

Approved: MAR 19 2013

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
President of the Philippines