CEDAW/C/PHI/5-6 addition to the management of the halfway house, the organization spearheaded the formation of the Multi-Sectoral Network Against Trafficking (MSNAT). 203. Civil society organizations have been engaged in critical advocacy for legislation and services, setting up multi-sector watch groups, information dissemination and pre-departure training and counseling, and shelter services. Notable are Kanlungan Centre Foundation Inc., an NGO that draws support from such organizations as the International Labor Organization, and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, which is implementing an anti-trafficking project. 204. ECPAT Philippines, is a member of a global network to protect children from commercial sexual exploitation. It has long been engaged in six activities: information drive, aimed at preventing more children from becoming victims of commercial sex exploiters; monitoring of sex exploiters and facilitation of their prosecution through casework; legal assistance and delivery of services to child victims; networking and advocacy; research and documentation; and child participation activities. Legislation and other measures addressing prostitution 205. The interventions addressing prostitution and assisting women in prostitution have been discussed in paragraphs 26 to 28 in Part I, on actions taken on the CEDAW Concluding Comments on prostitution. Legislation and policies addressing violence against women 206. In response to General Recommendation No. 19, the Philippines enacted two laws to address VAW, specifically, the twin laws on rape: RA 8353 (Anti-Rape Law) and RA 8505 (RapeVictim Assistance and Protection Act). The IRR of RA 8505 has already been adopted. A study of these two laws by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation found that lack of familial, institutional or societal support for the rape victim is a major drawback for the reporting of rape (Santos, Llarinas-Angeles and Ador 2001). It asserts that early gains could be lost if existing judicial doctrines are allowed to apply and if court procedures that force rape victims to re-live the crime when giving testimony are not changed. 207. On March 8, 2004, during the annual celebration of the International Women’s Day, the President signed into law Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act (AVAWCA). This law aims to stem the high incidence of violence against women and criminalize perpetrators. It protects women and their children from physical, psychological and economic abuses in the context of marital, dating or common law relationship. The law also recognizes the “battered woman syndrome” (BWS) as a legal defense for women who suffered cumulative abuse and have been driven to defend themselves. The law provides for issuance of “protection orders” to stop violence and prevent recurrence of future violence. 208. Pursuant to RA 8505, the Department of Justice Memorandum No. 9 series of 1998 on the Guidelines on the Handling of Rape Cases Involving Adult Victims was adopted. The policy ensures, among others, the fair and respectful treatment of the adult rape victim, assignment of a woman investigator during preliminary inquest, prevention of admission of evidence of the 65