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Good practice Imported

Women and Children Protection Units (WCPU) — Philippines' Hospital-Based One-Stop GBV and Child Abuse Response Network

Philippines · Manila · See the Philippines profile · See the Manila profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 32% 78/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Piloted in 1997 at Philippine General Hospital in Manila, Women and Children Protection Units integrate medical, forensic, psychosocial, legal and police services for GBV and child-abuse survivors, growing to 123 units nationwide by 2022 with over 150,000 people served.

38
WCPU units nationally (2010)
123
WCPU units nationally (2021-2022)
119,965
Children/adolescents served cumulatively
30,912
Women served cumulatively
27,000+
Children treated at flagship PGH unit since 1997
15 %
Cases proceeding to trial (486 cases, PGH)
4
WCPUs with full Level 3 status (2019)
Women and Children Protection Units (WCPU) — Philippines' Hospital-Based One-Stop GBV and Child Abuse Response Network

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Philippines Department of Health, Philippine General Hospital / University of the Philippines Manila, and the Child Protection Network Foundation
Period
1997–present
Keywords
health, gender-based violence, child protection, justice, policing

Context

Established in 1997 at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) under DOH Administrative Order No. 1-B and reinforced by AO 2013-0011, Women and (Their) Children Protection Units (WCPU) are hospital-based one-stop centres integrating medical examination and treatment, forensic documentation, psychosocial and mental-health care, legal assistance and police liaison for survivors of gender-based violence and child abuse.

Results

The network grew from 38 units nationally in 2010 to roughly 94 by 2019 and 123 units across 61 provinces and 10 cities by 2021-2022, cumulatively serving 119,965 children/adolescents and 30,912 women, while the flagship PGH unit alone had treated over 27,000 children since 1997. A 2009 peer-reviewed study of 486 cases handled at PGH found 15% proceeded to trial.

Conclusions

Independent investigative reporting documented serious strains behind these numbers: as of 2019 only 4 of the country's WCPUs had achieved full 'Level 3' status, dedicated funding was frozen after a 2013 budget scandal, frontline staff were paid as little as ~₱13,000/month, and many of the 721 public hospitals nationwide still lacked a functioning unit, referring cases to PGH instead.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
Philippines Department of Health, Philippine General Hospital / University of the Philippines Manila, Child Protection Network Foundation, hospital medical, forensic, psychosocial and legal staff, police liaison

Conditions for success

  • integrated referral pathway combining medical exam, forensic documentation, psychosocial care, legal assistance and police liaison on one site

Common failure modes

  • only 4 of the network's units had achieved full Level 3 status as of 2019
  • dedicated funding frozen after a 2013 budget scandal
  • frontline staff pay as low as ~₱13,000/month
  • many of the 721 public hospitals nationwide still lack a functioning unit

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes Philanthropic / foundation funding

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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