FROM EMPTY DESKS TO COORDINATED CARE: CALLING FOR A CABINET CLUSTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN PROTECTION

FROM EMPTY DESKS TO COORDINATED CARE: CALLING FOR A CABINET CLUSTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN PROTECTION

One of the most promising initiatives within the Philippine National Police (PNP) in recent decades has been the creation of the Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPDs). These desks are meant to serve as safe spaces and dedicated service points for victims of abuse, exploitation, and violence. But in far too many places, the promise of protection remains just that—a promise.

We must now ask the uncomfortable question: What is a WCP Desk if no one is there to man it?

In many cases across the country, a WCPD exists only in name. There may be a desk, even a sign, but no officer with the training—or even the time—to attend to victims in need. This isn’t just a logistical failure; it’s a failure of our duty to the most vulnerable members of society: our women and children.

Time for a Cabinet-Level Response

It's time to elevate the issue. This cannot remain a footnote in the operations of the PNP or an under-resourced initiative of social welfare offices. I propose the creation of a Cabinet Cluster for the Protection and Empowerment of Women and Children—a high-level body tasked with ensuring that inter-agency coordination and adequate resources are guaranteed from the national to the barangay level.

Just as we have Cabinet Clusters for climate change and poverty reduction, we need a cluster that unites all government efforts related to women and children’s safety, health, welfare, and justice. Anything less is patchwork.

Key Government Departments That Must Be Involved

1.   PNP under DILG – Responsible for enforcing the law, manning the WCPDs, and conducting investigations.

2.   DSWD – Central to psychosocial interventions, foster care placement, and survivor recovery programs.

3.   DOH – For medical and mental health support, especially in trauma and abuse cases.

4.   DOJ and PAO – To ensure access to justice, legal assistance, and proper prosecution of offenders.

5.   DepEd – For education reintegration and protection of minors within school settings.

6.   CHED and PRC – For the training and licensing of social workers, psychologists, and counselors.

7.   LGUs – As frontline service providers, they must be accountable for implementing policies and supporting local WCPDs.

A Broader Mission Than Policing

The mandate of the WCPD goes beyond law enforcement. Officers at these desks often become the first responders, social workers, counselors, and even advocates. But they cannot do this alone. Cases of abuse often require emergency shelter, counseling, education, livelihood support, and long-term recovery.

The current fragmented approach—where agencies work in silos—simply isn’t enough.

We need a government framework where agencies act not sequentially, but simultaneously, ensuring survivors don’t fall through the cracks because someone forgot to coordinate, or some agency lacked the budget or personnel.

Specialized, Compassionate, and Trained Personnel

It’s not enough to assign any officer to the WCPD. These desks need officers who are trained not just in investigation but in trauma-informed care, child psychology, gender sensitivity, and survivor support. Ideally, social workers or counselors should be co-deployed or embedded within the unit.

We wouldn’t assign an untrained worker to a crime lab—why assign untrained officers to handle children and victims of rape or domestic abuse?

Embedding Support Where It's Needed Most

At the provincial level, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) must not just be policy bodies—they should deploy personnel or resources to provincial command centers and large urban police stations.

Likewise, the Department of Education must step up. Many abused children drop out of school. Reintegration into the classroom, with the right psychological and educational support, could be a turning point in their healing journey.

The Role of Mayors and Governors

Local chief executives have power over local police, social welfare services, and health centers. A mayor who chooses to act decisively can transform WCPDs in their municipality. But we need more than leadership by exception—we need systemic accountability from LGUs to national government.

That’s why a Cabinet Cluster with a clear roadmap, funding, and monitoring system is essential. This is about mainstreaming women and children’s protection as a national security, public health, and social development priority.

The Goal: Functional, Fully Staffed, and Compassionate WCPDs Nationwide

Let us be clear: Every police station should have a working, fully manned WCP Desk—not just a desk, not just a sign, but a unit capable of responding with urgency, empathy, and expertise. That’s the law. And that’s what our women and children deserve.

Let us go beyond good intentions. Let us institutionalize this commitment through a Cabinet Cluster for Women and Children Protection, with a clear mandate, real funding, and coordinated programs that reach every barangay.

Because no victim should have to wait. Because no child should face abuse alone. Because no woman should feel helpless at the very desk meant to protect her.

Let us protect those who need it most—not someday, not eventually, but now.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com

09-10-2025