I. Program Overview

The Haven for Women is a residential care facility catering to women survivors of abuse along with their dependents, eighteen (18) to fifty-nine (59) years old, who are in need of temporary protective custody and other services that will promote healing and recovery.

Among the integrated/holistic services are: individual and group counseling, medical and legal assistance, self- awareness sessions that will build women victim survivors self-esteem, stress reduction/crisis management sessions, livelihood/entrepreneurship development, spiritual enrichment and other activities along socio-cultural scheme.

Staff at the center are gender sensitive social workers, house-parents, medical and other professionals who provide a nurturing environment in which trust, respect, self-esteem, are fostered and healing takes place. It provides a 24 hour, 7 days a week service.

The Republic Act 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 – is an act that defines violence against women and their children, provides for protective measures to victims and prescribe penalties for its violations. Section 40 mandates the DSWD to provide temporary shelters, provide counseling, psychosocial services and or recovery rehabilitative programs and livelihood assistance.

II. Projects/Services/Activities/Modalities

  1. Social Services
    This is the core service of all the services provided in the center headed by the Case Manager / Social Worker. These are interventions that seek to restore/develop social functioning of center residents from admission to discharge and preparation for family reunification, community reintegration and alternative family placement if deemed necessary.
  2. Home-life/Group Living Services
    • Provision of Food – provision of meals at minimal cost
    • Provision of Clothing and Toiletries – Each woman victim survivor shall have at least three sets of undergarments and house dress and two pieces of casual clothing for other occasions. Children of residents shall likewise be provided with sufficient clothes that are comfortable and appropriate to their age.
  3. Medical Services
    • Physical Examination – each woman victim survivor should receive a complete medical examination annually, or at frequent intervals when necessary. This would include consultation and treatment, medical check- up, dental check- up, referral to hospitals if needing medical assessment and treatment.
    • Dental Check Up – this refers to the provision of thorough dental examination to women victim survivors.
  4. Psychological/Psychiatric Services – this refers to administration of psychological tests/treatment to evaluate the state of mental health of women victim survivors as basis for determining the most appropriate intervention that will facilitate healing and recovery.
  5. Legal Services – refers to the provision of legal assistance to women victim survivors through referrals in case a woman victim survivor files a case court against her perpetrator. Every time that a resident is summoned/ needed in court or related authority, she should be escorted by center staff, preferably by a social worker. She should also be provided a safe transportation to ensure her safety.
  6. Educational Services – this refers to the provision of opportunities to seek/improve educational status either through scholarship for formal schooling or non-formal education (functional literacy).
  7. Counseling Services– refers to the deliberate process or activity involving the counselor (Social Worker / Psychologist / Houseparent) and client; it assists the client to overcome obstacles or help solve her own problem.
  8. Practical Skills Development – provision of opportunities to acquire livelihood skills along food/meat/fish processing, baking, and vocational craft which they can utilize for gainful employment to include small scale piggery, poultry or duck raising and vegetable/fruit propagation.
  9. After Care Services – During the discharge conference between the LGU and Center Staff; needed interventions should be threshed out for the continuity of the rehabilitation process and ensure that client will not be re-victimized and back to a lowly situation.

III. Target Beneficiaries

Protective custody shall be provided to women survivors of abuse whose age ranges from 18 to 59 years old with their dependents as well as those who are in need of immediate protective custody.

Clientele Category:

  • Victims of Sexual Abuse – Incest, Rape, Acts of Lasciviousness
  • Victims of Violence – Physically, Psychologically, Emotionally or Economically abused or threatened
  • Victims of Exploitation – Trafficking in Persons, Prostitution, Pornography, Sexual Harassment, Illegal Recruitment, Armed Conflict
  • Other Clients – Homeless/Vagrant, Strandees, Abandoned

IV. Eligibility Requirements

The Haven for Women shall cater but not limited to female victims of 4 provinces (Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte) of Region 1. It shall also serve non-residents of Region 1 but abuse committed to them is in the area specified above and who will be subsequently referred back to their respective hometown/ Region.

V. Documentary Requirements

All referrals made by LGUs, NGOs, and other organizations/entities should be accompanied with the following documents for assessment:

  1. Referral letter/Initial Case Study Report;
  2. Medical Certificate – indicating among others relevant information such as vital signs like blood pressure, height and weight which may be necessary in providing intervention related to the woman victim survivor’s health and nutrition and result of pre-natal check- up, if pregnant;
  3. Negative result of RT-PCR test;
  4. Birth Certificate or Baptismal Certificate;
  5. School record (Form 138 and/or Certificate of Good Moral Character;
  6. Court related documents (complaint-affidavit of woman victim survivor filed in court, medico legal, and other court related documents);
  7. Police/Investigation Report from the Women and Children’s Desk (required especially when the woman victim survivor decides to file a case in court);
  8. Other requirements – psychological evaluation of woman victim survivors who appear to be emotionally disturbed. The report shall serve as basis for the social worker to determine whether or not the center can provide appropriate help to the woman victim survivors, otherwise, she will be referred to a more appropriate center for institutionalization; and
  9. Latest picture (upon referral) whole body, 3R.

VI. Contact Person/s

HIYASMIN JOY O. NIEVA-RABELAS
Social Welfare Officer III/Center Head
(075) 653 3284 / 0927-492-9660
hfw.fo1@dswd.gov.ph

VII. Legal Bases

Republic Act 9262, An Act Defining Violence Against Women and their Children, Providing For Protective Measures For Victims, Prescribing Penalties Therefore, And For Other Purposes, Retrieved from: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2004/03/08/republic-act-no-9262-s-2004/

Republic Act 9710, An Act Providing for The Magna Carta Of Women, Retrieved from: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2009/08/14/republic-act-no-9710/