In the crowded condition of evacation centers, women and children become vulnerable to rape, trafficking, prostitution and other forms of exploitation, the party-list group Gabriela warned yesterday, as it urged the government to speed up the provision of basic social services to counter these risks, especially in areas battered by Supertyphoon "Yolanda".

Gabriela aired the warning as the country commemorated for the first time yesterday National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children.  The law designating Nov 25 for this day was signed in March to increase public awareness and action toward ending violence against women and children.

Abnormal conditions during calamities have induced some people to exploit the vulnerable sectors of society, according to Gabriela Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, who said the party-list has been trying to verify claims of abuse against women and children in devastated provinces in the Visayas.

She noted that when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1990, cases of prostitution in exchange for rice were documented in areas surrounding evacation centers in Zambales.

Ilagan said there had been reports of rape in Leyte and Samar, two of the provinces that took the brunt of Yolanda's fury, but these had yet to be confirmed.

If confirmed, Gabriela will provide counseling to the victims and coordinate with government agencies concerned for the filing of cases and the provision of other forms of assistance to the victims, she said.

Another Gabriela representative, Emmi de Jesus, meanwhile warned the government not to drag its feet in providing basic services in calamity-stricken areas.

"The intense poverty and slow delivery of basic social services can and will spawn violence against women and children.  "There is no electricity," she said, adding that "this makes nighttime more dangerous" for women and children.

The number of abuses against women and children has been rising, Ilagan said.

In 2012, the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center reported 15,969 cases of violence against women and children, and 5,180 cases of rape and attempted rape.  Of these, 3,861 involved children and minors.  Another 249 cases of trafficking
were also reported.

Source:  Philippine Daily Inquirer – p.A3, by Leila B. Salaverria