The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) reported a continued decrease in crimes against women and children, logging only seven cases in the first two months of 2025.

Lt. Rowena Jean Magan, officer-in-charge of the BCPO – Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD), said they are optimistic that cases until March will be lower than the 27 recorded during the same period in 2024.

Of the seven cases logged since January, three involved violations of Republic Act 9262 or Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act.

Two cases were filed in court while the other complainant executed an affidavit of non-interest.

The remaining four cases — two each for rape and acts of lasciviousness — are also in the courts.

Magan said the drop in the number of cases can be mainly attributed to the proactive efforts of investigators across all police stations to prevent violence against women and children (VAWC).

“They hold dialogues, meetings, lectures, and symposiums. Now, our investigators don’t just wait to cater to cases, they go out to raise awareness. We focus on prevention through advocacy programs,” she said in an interview.

As part of the prevention and awareness campaign, Magan said they engage in inter-agency coordination and distribute information, education and communication materials containing special laws that protect women and children.

“We extend the information dissemination to social media. The abuses are not just in physical form that you can see, these also happen on social media since many children actively use the platform.” (PNA)