12 compensated work. Losing their husbands may mean that they would not be able to afford feeding their children as well as provide for other basic needs. The second trend is that of fear of stigmatization. This fear is almost as widespread as the fear of losing a breadwinner in the family. Apart from Filipino traditional values dedicated to maintaining ideal nuclear families, predominantly Christian religious beliefs in the country reinforce women’s imposed responsibility to be submissive to their husbands. As a result, many women would rather endure abuse than be shunned by their families for being judged as a “defective” wife or mother. This fear of possibly failing at their roles reinforces among married women a skewed sense of duty to endure anything to keep their families together under the dominion of men. This consistently breeds a “culture of silence” among victims, and as a result, keeps the cycle of abuse going. Discussions with community women and service providers also revealed how domestic/ intimate partner violence has been often normalized and seen as acceptable, particularly among many who lack access to education and live in poverty. Family members and even local barangay officials attempt to talk some women out of filing complaints, dismissing such cases as “normal” in marriages. There were reports of barangay officials not taking domestic violence seriously and clinging to the traditional belief that men should rule the household as “head of the family”. In NCR, there were women from the FGDs shared that they encountered misogynistic remarks while reporting GBV from officials who view women as “overly emotional.” Some women are ridiculed and blamed for their husbands’ actions, one official was quoted as faulting women for “allowing themselves to age and become less attractive.” Many times, women only pursue legal action when they see that their children are negatively affected by the abuse they endure. In regions 8 and 12, it has become common for victims to feel sorry for perpetrators after they have complained to authorities. Instead of going through legal processes, couples reach an informal settlement in their barangays and continue to live together, the woman once again left vulnerable to abuse. These kinds of settlements were also shared by the FGD participants from regions 2, 3, NCR, and CARAGA. In regions 2, 4A, 4B, 8, 12, and CARAGA, service providers admit to having difficulty sympathizing with women whom they view as indecisive. This is reflective of the challenge faced by service providers with women survivors who refuse to follow through with complaints. It is also reflective of the persistence of victim blaming and the need for more survivor centered approaches. A common issue raised during FGS with service providers is the unwillingness to continue with the complaint and/or withdrawal of complaint for violence by many survivors. The reasons cited range from personal to practical reasons, ncluding financial dependence on the perpetrator. The confusion and combinations of fear, pain, anger, and other jarring emotions from violent experiences may be difficult for women to overcome. On the other hand service providers may overlook victims’ burdens and tend to focus only on case procedures. This disjuncture leads to frustration both for victims and service providers.