PH Embassy in Cambodia Joins 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women

Members of the Filipino Community, along with their Cambodian and foreign friends, partake of refreshments prior to the showing of watch the film "Bagahe" at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh. (Phnom Penh PE photo)

PHNOM PENH 19 December 2018 – The Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh rounded up its observance of the 18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) with the screening of the film “Bagahe” at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Philippine Chancery on 07 December 2018. 

Directed by Zig Dulay, “Bagahe” explores the life of an overseas Filipino worker named Mercy who is suspected of abandoning a newborn child in a trash bin of an airplane toilet. The film depicts the harsh experiences Mercy underwent while being investigated by authorities.

The film showing was followed by a forum to discuss the prevalence of VAW and the need to detect and prevent it from happening. The forum was facilitated by Dr. Vic Salas, an independent consultant on issues related to public health and development, HIV/AIDS, sexual and gender-based violence. Almost 40 people participated in the culminating event.

In addition to the film showing, the Embassy distributed advocacy materials produced by the Philippine Commission on Women. A video presentation entitled “VAW: Unspoken Word” was likewise shown at the Embassy’s consular section for the duration of the 18-day campaign. Using free-verse poetry and images, the “Unspoken Word” videos aimed to increase understanding of the difficult experiences of victim-survivors.

“Thank you to the Embassy for showing this film. I know of many OFWs, especially when we lived in the Middle East, who became victims of violence by their employers. This needs to be reported to the authorities. It is a good thing that the Philippine government, specifically OWWA, always came to help the victims,” said Yvonne Pamfilo-Eseo, a full-time homemaker in Cambodia. END

Dr. Vic Salas, an independent consultant on gender-based violence, discusses ways to raise awareness of violence against women during the forum. (Phnom Penh PE photo)

Participants call for a "Stop" on violence against women. (Phnom Penh PE photo)

Consular clients receive brochures on how to detect and prevent violence against women as well as support services available to victims. (Phnom Penh PE photo)

For more information, visit www.phnompenhpe.dfa.gov.ph or @PhilippineIn on Twitter.