23 December 2015 - The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver held a program on December 18 to observe the annual 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW).

Philippine Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer, in his remarks, highlighted the Philippines’ active participation in the global observance of the campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence since 2002. Consul General Ferrer also mentioned that the Philippinen campaign, which was extended to 18 days in 2006, calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against women through awareness-raising about gender-based violence, strengthening local work, and establishing a clear link between local and international work to end VAW. 

Ms. Patrocinia Formento, a women’s support and community outreach worker from MOSAIC, a multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to address issues affecting immigrants and refugees in the course of their settlement and integration into Canadian society gave a presentation and sharing of experiences on VAW among Filipino migrants in British Columbia.  Ms. Formento shared her experience as MOSAIC’s focal point for “Stopping the Victim of Domestic Violence” Program, covering the province of British Columbia. 

In her presentation, Ms. Formento remarked that Mosaic receives an average of 16 incident reports of domestic violence per month, ranging from abuse, threats, and violence in relationships. Ms. Formento also addressed the queries from the audience regarding counselling support, victim services and assistance. END