LAW Center Inc

10/04/2026

Highlights of Activities – 2nd Half of March in Observance of Women’s Month 2026 bannering this year’s sub-theme, “Lead like the Babaylans, Filipinas!” and operating under the 2023–2028 banner “WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society,” this observance calls on women to reclaim leadership roles, inspired by the wisdom, compassion, and courage of ancient Filipino spiritual leaders. Thus, the women-led activities are summarized below:

Expansion of services was extended to the LGUs of Bohol Province, ie:
* March 17- Paralegal Training and Legal Aid Mission, organized by LGU Tagbilaran City under LCE Jane Censoria Cajes-Yap. She was re-elected in the 2025 local polls to serve from 2025 to 2028, making her the first woman and youngest-ever mayor of the city. She is known for her "Asenso Pa More" development programs, with the GAD Focal Person, Alicia Faith Bayocot, heading it. The activity was attended by LGU personnel and students.

* March 24 & 25 – Legal Aid Missions were facilitated respectively in the LGUs of Guindulman and Alicia with our volunteer lawyers, PGM Associates, and Atty. Janzeen Reyes with Atty. Irene Caballes was attended by the functionaries from the barangay and women's associations. Shout out to the MSWO of Guildulman, Mr. Enp. Ruben D. Boybanting, RSW, for the accommodation of the LAW, Inc. Team, and to Mayor Marciano “Jun-Jun” Ayuban of LGU Alicia for your cooperation in the delivery of services to the women of Bohol Province.

* March 21 - Monthly Group Counseling facilitated by Mrs. Sesinia Solis, Social Worker. She talked about parenting esp to solo mothers.

* March 23 – Strengthening Capacity through Training on the GeRL Assessment Tool for a More Gender-Responsive Cebu City, facilitated by the two Babaylans, Prof. Rhodora Bucoy and Prof. Leny Ocasiones. They led capacity development trainings for Cebu City's GAD focal persons and Technical Working Group, equipping them with the GeRL tool to assess gender responsiveness in their barangays. LAW Center, Inc. was represented by Lorry Fernandez, Executive Director, as one of the CSO representatives.

* March 24 - Morning session: At the DILG Provincial Office in the Legislative Building of the Provincial Capitol, Atty. Virginia Palanca Santiago, Board President and CSO representative, attended the Provincial Audit Committee and the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Division meeting. The session started with the Welcome Message of Dr. Jesus Robel T. Sastrillo, Jr., CESE, Provincial Director of DILG Cebu.

Afternoon session: The Board of Trustees and Executive Director of LAW Center, Inc. paid a visit with Governor Baricuatro and Rainbee Grace Moro, GAD Focal. The meeting strengthened collaboration in advancing women’s rights, protection, and empowerment of women and girls across Cebu, and for the prevention mechanisms against abuse. Talking points included the Gender Help Desk and GAD Code of Cebu Province, and economic assistance for VAW survivors. Thank you, Gov. Pam, for your time and support.

* March 25–26 – A Refresher Course about interviewing skills in handling VAW victims was facilitated by Mr. James Raganas, Psychologist. It also covered the processes of BPO issuance, discussed by Atty. Virginia Palanca Santiago, and strengthening the GFPS at the barangay level to make BLGUs gender-responsive, led by Lorry Fernandez.

* March 27 - Gift-Giving Program through CPPO CARES: Empowering Women Survivors Towards Healing & Hope, a gift-giving program for VAW survivors of the CPPO, was held as part of their Women’s Month Celebration. It was headed by Provincial Director PCOL Abubakar U. Mangelen, Jr., together with other key officers and staff.

* March 28 - The Service Providers Conference, attended by LAW Center, Inc.’s volunteer lawyers, psychologists, BOT, and staff, was held at Golden Prince Hotel. Dr. Ronald Yrog-Irog, one of LAW Center, Inc.’s psychologists, discussed Psychological First Aid for Legal Practice and other related issues on mental health, as well as providing practical care for the carer, among other matters relevant to our lawyers and psychologists who handle VAWC cases. Thank you, Dr. Ronald, for sharing this vital information.

* March 30 – Data Gathering Session. All staff participated in a data gathering session in preparation for the Year 1 project reports.

* March 31 – Morning Session MOA Signing Ceremony with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) RO VII, where LAW Center, Inc., as the CSO representative, was represented by Atty. Virginia Santiago. We commit to assisting women migrant workers who are abused and discriminated against.

This was a whole-day culminating activity that was also held, where Political Science student interns from Cebu Normal University discussed the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), the Local Government Code of 1991, RA 9262, and key features of OSAEC/CSAEM. They likewise discussed challenges and recommendations for the Local Government Code of 1991, protection orders under RA 9262, and stakeholders’ rights and duties.

Meanwhile, a USC Political Science student intern presented the Safeguarding Policy of LAW Center, Inc.; a USJR Clinical Psychology student intern discussed support systems for VAWC clients; and a CIT-U Office Administration student intern presented the systematized filing of documents in the Legal Aid Desk. Thank you all for your help and wisdom!!!

10/04/2026

Daghang Salamat, Municipality of Madridejos sa kanunay nga pagsalig sa Legal Alternatives for Women (LAW) Center, Inc. isip kauban sa buhat, dili lamang sa "𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐮𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐡𝐮𝐦 𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐨𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐠𝐢 𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐨 𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐨𝐝!" apan ang paghatag usab og matarong na serbisyo, klase sa serbisyo, ug unsa nga serbisyo ang makahatag og paglaum ug kadasig sa kababayen-an — hilabihan na sa mga nakasinati og pang-abuso.

𝙃𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙮-𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙮 𝙪𝙜 𝙠𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙮, 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨𝙖𝙮

27/03/2026

It's Women's Month, indeed!

Cebu Police Provincial Office guided by Provincial Director PCOL Abubakar Udang Mangelen Jr., through the CPPO Cares initiative stands beside every woman who has endured violence—not only to respond, but to walk with her from crisis toward recovery and affirms that violence is never a private matter, and that healing begins when a survivor is met with compassion, protection, and practical help – a protection order when needed, a timely referral, or simply someone who believes her.

The CPPO Cares pledges to replace fear with safety, silence with voice, and pain with the steady hope and healing, timely in celebrating Women’s Month 2026 carrying under the CPPO Cares Program with a theme: Empowering Women Survivors Towards Healing and Hope.

With all our gratitude, we salute you, Sir Provincial Director PCOL Abubakar Udang Mangelen Jr., and through you, PLt Ritchil Tesoro, Chief of the Women and Children Protection Desk, and the dedicated WCPD personnel, for giving women survivors of violence a renewed sense of dignity, fulfillment, and hope.

Mabuhay ang CPPO Cares!
!

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1401725311996784&id=100064779845872&rdid=md8RFdFdEQKLXVsr #

25/03/2026

Engaged in a fruitful dialogue with People's Governor Pamela Baricuatro and others to strengthen gender mainstreaming in the central government of Cebu🥰 with the members of the Board of Trustees and Miss Rain Moro, GAD Focal Officer.

Thank you Gov Pam for appointing LAW Center, Inc. as one of the members of the Provincial Project Monitoring Committee (PPMC) representing the CSO together with The Lord Who Cares, Inc.

Also, Atty. Virginia Palalca Santiago, Board President ( as CSO representative) was attending the ADAC Cebu Province Provincial Audit Committee and Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Division Meeting at the DILG-Cebu, Legislative Bldg.

17/03/2026

Godwilling🙏🙏🙏

15/03/2026

The first 15 days of the Women’s Month celebration in 2026 highlighted the resilience and potential of women in overcoming adversity. The activities took on various forms, including parades, livelihood displays, lectures, and a legal aid mission where we participated/ facilitated in response to requests from private and public partners, while we continued to provide our core legal and psychosocial services.

Grateful to all the participants who headed our call - the client-survivors, the Board of Trustees, our pool of volunteer lawyers, staff, and student interns.
The activities were chronologically documented as follows:

*March 1: A streamer was hung displaying the theme: "WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society."

*March 2: A staff meeting was held to synchronize all activities for Women’s Month.

*March 3: The TV talk show "Sa Mata sa Kababayen-an" featured Ms. Maricar Bontuyan as a panelist, highlighting women’s month activities in Cebu City. Thank you to Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) for the longtime partnership.

* March 4: A kick-off parade was conducted to celebrate International Women’s Day, spearheaded by the CCWFAC and attended by representatives from the 80 barangays of Cebu City, along with partners from the RIACAT-VAWC and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

*March 4-7: A livelihood showcase took place, featuring participation from VAW survivors and community leaders.

* March 4: LAW Center, Inc. was awarded the Certificate of Accreditation of the City of Cebu as one of the CSOs.

* March 6: A lecture about RA 9262 with the employees of On Semiconductor – one of the locators in the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ). It was attended by 70 employees from 3 On Semi branches in MEZ, Tarlac, and Carmona.

*March 7: Takna sa Kababayen-an in collaboration with DYLA for almost 3 decades of the program, featuring members of the RIACAT-VAWC anchored by Atty. Noemi Abarrientos of the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB).

* March 7: Board of Trustees Meeting for important organizational activities and direction-setting, as well as 3Ks Coop Board Meeting.

*March 8: Women’s groups-initiated activities in observance of International Women’s Day, including participation in parades, lectures, and a road clean-up.

*March 10: Another episode of the TV talk show "Sa Mata sa Kababayen-an" featured panelists from the University of the Philippines, DSWD 7, and ERPAT (Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities Training), highlighting gender equality and the important role of men.

*March 11-12: Paralegal Skills Training Phase 1, sponsored by Cebu City’s CCWFAC, was attended by newly appointed VAW Desk Officers and GAD focal points, facilitated by LAW Center, Inc.

Also, a lecture about the Magna Carta of Women was organized by the USJR Political Society with Atty. Batandolo as the speaker.

The morning of March 11 was the scheduled courtesy with Regional Director Gamaliel Vicente, Jr. of Tesda, inquiring about the women's program for their availment and honing of skills.

*March 13: An orientation lecture on Gender Sensitivity and RA 9262 was held for couples nominated for the Mass Wedding organized by the Cebu City Government. Also facilitated by LAW Center, Inc., Training Officer Jhun Rick Gealon, and Atty. Virginia Palanca Santiago as the resource person.

*March 14: A 2-n-1 activity where, in the morning, Atty. Virginia Palanca Santiago, President of the Board of Trustees, delivered a lecture about RA 6713 (Ethical Standards for Public Employees), and RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) to accountants from various municipalities in the Province of Cebu.

While a Legal Aid Mission was officiated in Barangay Guadalupe, facilitated by LAW Center, Inc.’s volunteer lawyers and staff from 9am - 3pm. A MOA was drafted for the partnership.

Also, another Takna sa Kababayen-an in collaboration with DYLA for almost 3 decades of the program, with Ms. Eleanor "Leah" Selerio Velasco, owner of the Skin911 Clinic.

This is also to mention the participation of LAW Center, Inc., represented by Atty. Christine Perez-Lowther, as part of the monitoring team organized by DILG-Cebu Province for the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards. This annual program recognizes outstanding Barangay Justice Systems (Lupon) for their excellence in dispute resolution and promotion of peace.

15/03/2026

Respect for women is basic decency and a baseline for leadership; public office isn’t a platform for sexualized commentary ; and accountability should run through the ethics process and the Safe Spaces Act.


Women'sMonth2026

Mas dumarami ang kababaihang nagsasalita at buong tapang na sumusuporta kay Anne Curtis. Ngayong Women’s Month, paalala ito na ang pagiging babae ay may kaakibat na pagkakapatiran — ang pagtindig para sa isa’t isa, ang pagprotekta, at ang hindi pananahimik laban sa misogyny at sa mga taong nananamantala at walang respeto sa kababaihan.

Hindi ka “babae lang.”
Babae ka — at may lakas, dignidad, at boses.

15/03/2026

Urging lawmakers to act as role models by upholding the law, not acting as lawbreakers!

𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝘀𝗶 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀: “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁”

Nagpahayag ng suporta si Karen Davila kay Anne Curtis matapos ang naging matapang na pahayag nito kaugnay sa kontrobersyal na remarks ni B**g Suntay.

Ayon kay Karen, mahalagang ituro sa mga lalaki ang tunay na kahulugan ng respeto sa kababaihan, at hindi dapat hinahayaan na maging normal ang mga salitang nag-oobjectify at nagdi-disempower sa women, lalo na kapag nanggagaling sa mga nasa posisyon.

Pinuri rin niya si Anne sa pagiging matatag at classy sa pagharap sa isyu, at sinabing mahalagang magsalita ang mga kababaihan upang hindi maging normal ang ganitong uri ng pagtrato.

MORE INFO: lionheartv.net/2026/03/bong-suntay-anne-curtis/
**gSuntay

13/03/2026

The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - the "The Notorious RBG" - she opened the doors for women in the field of law. And the rest is HerStory!

She was one of nine women in a class of 500 men. Her husband got cancer. She cared for him, raised a toddler, and graduated first in her class. No law firm would hire her.
In 1956, Ruth Bader arrived at Harvard Law School as one of only nine women in a class of nearly 500 students.
The dean of Harvard Law School held a dinner for the female students and asked each woman to justify taking a spot that could have gone to a man.
Ruth was 23 years old, the mother of a 14-month-old daughter, and she had to explain why she deserved to study law.
She told the dean she wanted to understand her husband's work. It was a diplomatic answer designed not to threaten male egos. The truth—that she was intellectually brilliant and passionate about the law—would have been considered inappropriate, even threatening.
From day one, Ruth faced an environment designed to make women feel unwelcome.
Professors would call on the women in class specifically to humiliate them, asking them to explain "ladies' cases" involving domestic issues. The library didn't allow women to study in the main reading room. Male students made it clear they resented the women's presence.
Ruth's classmates were presumed to belong. She had to prove herself every single day.
She sat in the front row. She studied relentlessly. She spoke up in class despite the hostile stares. She refused to be intimidated.
Then, during her first year, her husband Marty was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Marty was also a law student at Harvard, one year ahead of Ruth. The diagnosis was devastating—cancer treatment in the 1950s was brutal, and survival rates were low.
Ruth suddenly had to manage an impossible load: her own demanding law school classes, caring for a toddler, and taking care of her gravely ill husband.
Marty underwent surgery and radiation treatment. He was often too sick to attend class or study. Ruth attended her own classes during the day, then went to Marty's classes at night to take notes for him.
She would come home, care for their daughter Jane, cook meals, help Marty study using the notes she'd taken from his classes, and then stay up late into the night doing her own schoolwork.
She slept maybe four or five hours a night for months.
Most people would have taken a leave of absence. Most people would have cracked under that pressure.
Ruth didn't just survive—she excelled.
She maintained top grades in her own classes while essentially completing two law school educations simultaneously. She managed a household, cared for a sick husband and a young child, and never complained.
Marty recovered. Against the odds, the cancer went into remission. He graduated from Harvard in 1958 and accepted a job at a law firm in New York City.
Ruth faced a choice: stay at Harvard for her final year, or transfer to Columbia Law School to be with her husband in New York.
She chose her family. She transferred to Columbia for her third and final year of law school.
At Columbia, Ruth continued to excel. When she graduated in 1959, she tied for first place in her class—the top graduate from one of the most prestigious law schools in the country.
She had proven herself academically beyond any doubt. She had sterling credentials from two Ivy League law schools. She had glowing recommendations. She spoke multiple languages. She was an editor of the Columbia Law Review.
By any objective measure, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the most qualified law school graduates in the country.
And she couldn't get hired.
Law firm after law firm rejected her. The reasons were always the same: she was a woman. She was a mother. She would be a "distraction" to the male lawyers. Clients wouldn't take her seriously.
One Supreme Court justice for whom she applied for a clerkship rejected her specifically because he "wasn't ready to hire a woman."
Felix Frankfurter, a Supreme Court justice and Harvard Law professor, refused to consider her despite a personal recommendation from her professors. He simply didn't hire women.
This was the reality for even the most brilliant women in the 1950s and 60s: excellence didn't matter if you were female.
Ruth finally got her first legal job through a Columbia professor who threatened to stop sending the law firm any Columbia students if they didn't give Ruth a chance.
She worked as a law clerk, then struggled to find permanent positions. Eventually, she became a professor at Rutgers Law School—at a significantly lower salary than her male colleagues, because she "had a husband who earned a good living."
But Ruth didn't let the discrimination break her. She channeled it into action.
In the 1970s, Ruth became a pioneering attorney for the ACLU's Women's Rights Project. She argued six gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court and won five of them.
Her strategy was brilliant: she often chose cases involving discrimination against men to show that gender stereotypes hurt everyone. She argued that laws treating women and men differently were unconstitutional.
Case by case, she dismantled the legal framework that had kept women as second-class citizens.
She challenged laws that said women couldn't serve on juries. Laws that gave husbands control over their wives' property. Laws that denied women equal benefits. Laws that defined women primarily as wives and mothers rather than full citizens.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg changed American law more profoundly than almost anyone in the 20th century—not as a judge, but as a litigator systematically destroying discriminatory laws.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Ruth to the Supreme Court. She became only the second woman ever to serve on the nation's highest court.
For 27 years, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served on the Supreme Court, becoming a cultural icon—"The Notorious RBG"—and a champion of equality, women's rights, and justice.
She wrote groundbreaking opinions. She dissented fiercely when she disagreed with the majority. She worked into her eighties with the same discipline she'd shown as a law student.
Even when she was battling cancer—five different bouts over twenty years—she rarely missed work. She exercised with a personal trainer. She maintained her rigorous schedule.
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020, at age 87, the outpouring of grief was immense. People laid flowers on the Supreme Court steps. Mourners gathered to honor her legacy.
But her real legacy isn't just her judicial opinions or her cultural impact.
It's the doors she opened.
Every woman who attends law school without being asked to justify taking a man's spot—Ruth opened that door.
Every woman who gets hired by a law firm based on merit—Ruth opened that door.
Every woman who serves on a jury, controls her own property, makes her own medical decisions, or expects equal treatment under the law—Ruth helped open those doors.
She didn't do it by being loud or aggressive. She did it with meticulous preparation, brilliant legal arguments, and a quiet, relentless determination to dismantle injustice one case at a time.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of nine women in a class of 500. She was told to justify why she deserved to be there. She was rejected by firm after firm despite graduating first in her class.
And she responded by changing the law so that no woman after her would face those same barriers.
She walked through doors that were barely cracked open. And she wedged them wide open for everyone who came after.

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