• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City government has officially established a Support and Action for Families in Emergency (SAFE) hotline through Executive Order No. 044 signed by Mayor Greg Gasataya.
The directive aims to provide an accessible and responsive mechanism for reporting cases of violence and abuse, particularly those involving gender-based violence and children in need of special protection.
“There’ve been a lot of cases about abuse to children online so the challenge is most of them do not know where to report,” Gasataya said.
The executive order outlines the functions of the SAFE Hotline, which include providing a 24/7 accessible channel for victims and concerned citizens to report cases and coordinating with various government agencies like the Bacolod City Police Office, City Health Office, and the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD).
DSSD head, Dr. Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga, will serve as the program supervisor, who will monitor the overall implementation of the program.
A key feature of the initiative is the plan to fully integrate the hotline into the city’s G-APP online platform.
The executive order is grounded in national laws, including the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Republic Act 9165 (the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), and the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.*
