Young People Embrace Being the Future and the Now of Ending VAW

^{Youth participants passed on the #VAWfreePH banner to the Philippine Commission on Women with their signature marks, symbolizing their commitment to end VAW in their generation.}

Over 300 young people joined the call to stop Violence against Women (VAW), look beyond silence, and listen with compassion, through the #VAWfreePH? Youth Got This! Forum conducted by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) on November 25, 2025 at the SM Megatrade Hall 2 in Mandaluyong City. 

Organized in partnership with SM Cares and the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IACVAWC), the youth forum ushered in the 2025 nationwide 18-day Campaign to End VAW, held annually from November 25 to December 12. The PCW intensifies its efforts to engage more youth and men as leaders of the campaign. Men listen to men and youth defines a future that works best for their generation.

PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla emphasized the critical role of young people in eradicating gender-based violence, as she shared her dream of working with 10,000 women and men youth, whom she hopes to engage as “miracle seeds” to grow the movement that will dismantle VAW once and for all.

“Ang binhi ng pagkadakila at pagkabayani ay nagsisimula at yumayabong sa edad ng kabataan,” Chairperson Valdeavilla stated, underscoring that the impetus for national change begins with the youth.

^{Calling on a new generation of miracle seeds:
PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla set the tone for the event and called on the youth to become the miracle seeds that will break the inter-generational cycle of VAW}

Everyone Steps in the Journey to VAW-free PH

^{United for a VAW-free Philippines:
Guests of Honor and Speakers, PCW officials headed by Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla, and the youth participants officially ushered in the 2025 campaign to end VAW with the “stop VAW” hand gesture.}

Highlighting the need for a whole-of-society approach, the event brought together speakers from the United Nations Philippines, the private sector, IACVAWC member agencies, and civil society organizations.

^{The Power of Voice:
DSWD Assistant Secretary Janet P. Armas welcomed the participants to the event on behalf of the IACVAWC. The DSWD serves as Chair of the Council.}

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Janet P. Armas, Chairperson of the IACVAWC, commended the PCW for the event. She underscored the power of the youth voice, noting that when young people speak out, they actively create safe spaces and shift mindsets, making the end of VAW achievable.

^{Silence perpetuates injustice:
UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Mr. Arnauld Peral called for daily actions to end VAW}

Mr. Arnaud Peral, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, challenged participants to make ending VAW their everyday responsibility, not just an 18-day campaign. He added that change doesn’t happen fast enough; thus, staying silent, even just once, allows injustice to keep its place in society.

^{Making safe spaces:
Engineer Junias M. Eusebio, SM Supermalls VP for Mall Operations declared their commitment to ending VAW on behalf of SM Cares}

Engineer Junias M. Eusebio, Vice President for Mall Operations at SM Supermalls, affirmed the private sector’s commitment to help end VAW as he shared their efforts for ensuring that their malls that cater to millions of people daily are safe spaces. He likewise expressed confidence in the youth’s unique power to lead the nation into a VAW-free future because they are the heartbeat of the movement.

^{Join the MOVEment:
Dr. Manuel M. Gabriel emphasized the need for young people to speak out and stand up against VAW}

In his session, “On Track: Men Opposed to VAW,” Dr. Manuel M. Gabriel, a Registered Guidance Counsellor and President of Men Opposed to Violence Against Everywhere (MOVE) Council Olongapo City Chapter, emphasized that VAW is fundamentally a man’s issue too and called on the youth to be the gamechangers that will break the VAW cycle in their generation. He encouraged the participants, male and female alike, to muster the courage to speak and stand up against any act of VAW. 

^{Safety in the digital world:
(L-R) Vanessa Vianca S. Pallarco of UN Women, Break the Fake Movement Executive Director Paolo Miguel Ordonio, and Development Gateway Country Lead Christine Sumog-oy}

Practical tips navigating online platforms safely and responsibly were also discussed in the session “Red Means Stop, Yellow Means Caution: No VAW in our Digital Nation” with Break the Fake Movement’s Paolo Miguel Ordonio, Christine Sumog-oy of Development Gateway Philippines, and UN Women’s Vanessa Vianca S. Pallarco.

^{Making schools safe spaces for learners:
(L-R) PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar, Lakan Dula High School Teacher Vilynn T. Sidiangco, Pampanga State University Vice President for Student Affairs and Services Dr. Dolores T. Quiambao, and Upper Sibul Elementary School Assistant School Principal Dr. Manuel M. Gabriel, RGC.}

For the panel session, “The School Admin’s Compass: Navigating the Path to VAW Prevention,” Dr. Dolores T. Quiambao (Vice President for Student Affairs and Services, Director, GFPS, NGRP Member – Pampanga State University), Manuel M. Gabriel, PhD, RGC (President, MOVE Olongapo), and Vilynn T. Sidiangco (GAD Student Coordinator, Lakan Dula High School) shared their good practices in preventing and addressing VAW within schools. PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar moderated the session, which became a moving highlight as several youth participants bravely opened up personal experiences and testimonials. These powerful accounts served as a jarring wake-up call, underscoring the urgency for the Commission and the whole society to advocate for safer learning spaces. The message is clear: schools are not VAW-proof, and the youth demand an environment where no one experiences threats and insecurity, ensuring that VAW is never the norm.

^{Bystander Intervention Program:
PCW’s Anna Margarita G. Nuque provided practical tips to ensure safety when helping a victim-survivor}

Meanwhile, in the session “Green Means Go: From Bystander to Upstander,” PCW-IACVAWC Secretariat’s Ms. Anna Margarita G. Nuque noted that while the PCW is still in the process of developing a “Bystander Intervention Program,” to establish guideposts on the said subject, it does not mean that concerned citizens can no longer do anything. She showed the PCW-produced videos featuring the social experiment that was meant to capture the reaction of random people in public places when they witness VAW, particularly highlighting the parts where people stood up to help the “victim” in various ways. She ended with sharing practical strategies to safely intervene when witnessing acts of VAW.

VAW Social Experiment – VAW in intimate relationship

VAW Social Experiment Gender-based Sexual Harassment

Embracing the Challenge and Inspiring Hope for a VAW-free Future

The participants sealed their commitment through a powerful symbolic gesture: the “#VAW-freePH Pledge Weave” where each participant stamped their signature. 

The huge cloth was passed across the hall from one young hand to another, culminating in the reading of their solemn commitment which they themselves crafted during the activity: 

“Kabataan, tayo ang kinabukasan at ang kasalukuyan. Let us recognize our civic responsibility as youth while celebrating our rights. Amplify our voices with responsible digital citizenship, making sure to disseminate reliable, gender-sensitive, gender-responsive, and laymanized information.

Help destigmatize sexual reproductive health in the academe, household, workplace, and in the community. Encourage our government to prioritize fostering a good environment for children, men, and women. Advocate for the prioritization of programs of early childhood education and care, especially for children affected by conflict.

Let us push for a more inclusive society, embracing others’ differences and preferences. Break the silence! Let’s bring back the power and voices of our women ancestors. Kapag may kabataan at kababaihan, mayroong kapayapaan. YOUTH GOT THIS.”

Finally, the entire gathering held the expansive “#VAWfreePH Pledge Weave” before ceremoniously folding and handing it over to PCW, symbolizing the end of the forum and the beginning of their unified stand to ending VAW. 

The youth stood firm, publicly pledging that VAW ends in their generation, vowing to break the silence and act as a powerful, unstoppable force for safety, dignity, and equality.

About the 18-day Campaign to End VAW

The 18-day Campaign to End VAW is observed annually from November 25 to December 12, pursuant to Proclamation 1172, s. 2006. It is aligned with the global call to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. It is spearheaded by the PCW in coordination with IACVAWC comprising the DSWD (Chair), Department of the Interior and Local Government (Co-chair), PCW (Secretariat), Department of Health, Department of Justice, Department of Education, Department of Labor and Employment, Commission on Human Rights, Civil Service Commission, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, and Council for the Welfare of Children.