This document discusses a proposed ordinance in General Santos City against catcalling and gender-based sexual harassment. The ordinance aims to establish protections for all individuals regardless of gender or orientation from harassment in public spaces, workplaces, schools, and online. It would mandate organizations to implement anti-harassment policies and penalize perpetrators. The ordinance also seeks to promote anti-harassment campaigns and establish a taskforce to oversee complaints and awareness initiatives to address the psychological impacts of harassment on victims.

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General Santos
Anti-Catcalling
Ordinance
What is the ordinance? Why do we need to draft
legislation against catcalling?
Hon. Jose Orlando R. Acharon -Author/Sponsor
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Intro:
What is
catcalling?
Catcalling is any unwanted
remark directed towards a
person, commonly done in the
form of wolf-whistling;
and misogynistic, transphobic,
homophobic, sexist, and sexual
comments.
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What is
Gender-Based
Sexual
Harassment?
Refers to conduct targeted at a
particular person that causes,
or is likely to cause, mental,
emotional or psychological
distress, and fear of personal
safety, based on one's gender
identity or expression.
Sexual harassment acts include
unwanted sexual remarks, and
comments, threats, etc.
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Why do we
need to fight
against
harassment?
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According to a June 2016 Rappler Article,
In the Philippines, 58% of incidents of sexual harassment happen on streets, major roads, and
eskinitas. Physical harassment occurs mostly in public transport.
Meanwhile, according to a The Guardian article, one in five children aged 12 to 17 have been
subjected to instances of online sexual abuse, some involving explicit sexual acts.
Victims of harassment cases can suffer psychological effects, including depression and sleep
disorders. In more extreme cases, it leads to death (E.g. the 2014 Pemberton case where
Filipina Jennifer Laude was killed by US Soldier Pemberton).
Thus, it is important to establish preventive and pro-active measures to make sure that our
children, women, and vulnerable are protected from any form of sexual harassment.

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RA 11313
"Safe Spaces Act"
authored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros
Implemented to expand
the old law (Anti-Sexual
Harassment of 1995)
Expands the law by
recognizing that
harassment can happen in
workplaces, educational
institutions, and online
spaces
Mandates institutions to
implement mechanisms
that are geared towards
fighting sexual harassment
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DILG Joint
Memorandum
Circular No. 2020-
001
Releasing Guidelines on the
Localization of the Safe Spaces
Act
Mandating LGUs to establish
campaigns and a task force for
the implementation of the
national law
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Bawal Bastos Ordinance of
General Santos City
The ordinance aims to establish
protections against gender-based
sexual harassment to assure that
every person is treated with due
respect, regardless of sexual
orientation or gender identity.
The ordinance shall protect every
individual from gender-based
sexual harassment and catcalling in
streets, public spaces, online
spaces, workspaces, and
educational institutions;
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How?
Mandating establishments,
institutions, and workplaces to
implement internal mechanisms
against sexual harassment
Penalizing perpetrators, employers,
drivers, teachers, etc. who are caught
committing acts of harassment as
defined in the ordinance
Promoting gender-sensitive and anti-
sexual harassment campaigns
throughout the city
Establishing a taskforce to oversee
campaigns and complaints
Creating City campaigns against
sexual harassment and catcalling
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