provided by the group. Subsequently, most TV stations adopted inset sign language interpreters during their news programs and important government briefings. Despite these however, barriers remain, particularly due to the absence of sign language interpreters and accessible information in the community level. Access to information on COVID-19 and of government support and services also prove to be challenging for groups of vulnerable women – particularly indigenous women who also face physical barriers in accessing government support, rural women like women farmers and fisherfolks who are unaware of government support or farmers and fisherfolks in general, and urban poor women who still complained of confusion in terms of inclusion or exclusion under SAP. The digital divide – the absence of available technology and infrastructure to access information for these group of women render it even more difficult for them to access information. As one woman fisherfolk from Cebu has stressed “I have no access to internet, I cannot afford to buy a cellphone and I am not tech savy. I do not know how to create a facebook account and I am unable to receive updates.” Exclusion from SAP is also a common complaint. Urban poor women in Navotas sought the assistance of the Commission to follow up their SAP benefits and to inquire on the reasons of exclusion for many members of the federation. In the Commission’s Regional Office 4-A, it was reported that during the ECQ/MECQ period, majority of the complaints received by the region pertained to the alleged arbitrary non-inclusion of qualified women beneficiaries to the SAP financial assistance 87. Majority of these complaints of non-inclusion were received from persons with disability and/ or the elderly.88 Stigma and Discrimination The Commission’s monitoring also surfaced the stigma and discrimination suffered by health workers, by persons under investigation, persons under monitoring, and COVID-19 positive patients. Locally, LGUs responded to increasing cases of discrimination and stigma by passing ordinances penalizing discrimination against health workers, Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs), Persons Under Investigation (PUIs), and COVID-19 patients. These ordinances also strengthen confidentiality provisions. On the part of the Commission, advisories and statements regularly emphasize the human rights based approached with its standards of the need to ensure the right to dignity and non-discrimination, and emphasizing the right to security and freedom from violence. The Department of Health itself acknowledged reports of stigma and discrimination against health care workers, “We are receiving reports of our health care workers around the country being attacked physically, including being thrown bleach and splashed with chlorine.” It also added that “there are reports of health care workers being refused access to basic services such as public transport and laundry, blocked and fined at checkpoints and evicted from their homes.” 89 The PNP also reported that as of 2 May 2020, it has recorded 104 cases of attacks, discrimination vs health workers amid COVID-19 crisis.90 These forms 87 CHR-IV-A 1st Semester of 2020 Human Rights Situationer CHR-IV-A 1st Semester of 2020 Human Rights Situationer 89 VOA News “Philippine Health Workers Battle Coronavirus, Harassment”. 7 April 2020. https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/philippine-health-workers-battle-coronavirusharassment 90 ABSCBN. PNP records 104 cases of attacks, discrimination vs health workers amid COVID-19 crisis. 2 May 2020. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/02/20/pnp-records-104-cases-of-attacks-discrimination-vs-health-workersamid-covid-19-crisis 88 26