resolve 30 cases. Twelve of these cases involved minors who filed rape cases, and all were given financial assistance by the Commission. Those whose cases were being investigated by the Commission and are currently filed in court are eligible to receive financial aid, subject to the recommendation of CHR regional offices. It was noted that there is no prescriptive period. The Regional Office 1 has also provided legal counseling to women who filed cases on violations of RA 9262 or the Violence Against Women and their Children Act. However, because of financial issues in the household, these complainants decided not to pursue in filing a case against their husbands/partners. The women were concerned about financial support of the father to their children. That is why CHR has been advocating to barangay officials for the provision of livelihood opportunities to women to empower them through financial independence. She also noted that there were no reported cases of discrimination against LGBTQI persons in the region for the period covered. Citing the Memorandum of Agreement between the Philippine National Police and CHR, a monthly submission of cases being reported by the PNP reveals that the Top Three gender-based violence cases reported are: 1. Violation of RA 9262 (VAWC) 2. Acts of lasciviousness 3. Rape, including those that involve minors For the CHR’s monitoring role, representatives from the office regularly conducts jail visits, and during this period, they have already visited 117 jail facilities and rendered assistance to 944 inmates. To further carry out their role as Gender Ombud, CHR RO1 has also visited 41 barangays and there were several instances where there was little awareness on the GAD fund and nonfunctional VAWC desks. In terms of promotion and awareness campaigns, CHR RO 1 regularly participates with interagency activities. The Commission also serves as the Regional Gender and Development chairperson which is a support committee of the Regional Development Council. Representatives of the Commission also conducts regular lectures and sponsors the Women’s Forum. On the other hand, the jail visitations with the Population Commission focused on the rights of women detainees. They also undergo regular capacity building workshops and provide technical assistance during training of trainors (TOT) activities. Lastly, CHR also holds a legal caravan to ensure that its programs and activities reach the grassroots level. PROCESS OF THE FGD Atty. Romero served as facilitator for the FGD round among representatives of regional line agencies. She gave a brief briefing to all participants, which emphasized on each participant’s input on the questions that will be asked. She also asked the consent of everyone that the dialogue will be recorded and documented. Each participant should state their name first and their agency before answering for proper recording. 6 | Page