COMMITTEE on women and family relations chairperson Councilor Desiree Ann Dahino led a consultative meeting on Thursday, May 21, at the City Council Session Hall for the proposed ordinance penalizing gender-based sexual harassment in streets, public places, workplaces, and online platforms.
Under the proposed measure, acts such as catcalling, wolf-whistling, leering, intrusive gazing, taunting, unwanted comments on a person’s appearance, relentless requests for personal information, persistent sexual jokes, offensive comments, demands, and other statements or actions that invade a person’s personal space or threaten their sense of safety whether committed online, in public spaces, or in workplaces shall be penalized in accordance with applicable laws and penalties.
Once approved, the ordinance shall be known as the “Safe Public and Private Spaces Ordinance of 2025.”
The proposal also includes the creation of an Anti-Sexual Harassment Council tasked with leading and implementing measures to prevent gender-based sexual harassment, as well as conducting information drives and anti-sexual harassment seminars.
During the meeting, the establishment of hotline numbers and anti-sexual harassment desks in City Hall and all barangay halls was likewise proposed to receive and process complaints.
The ordinance is anchored on Republic Act No. 11313, also known as the Safe Spaces Act or “Bawal Bastos Law,” which protects individuals from gender-based sexual harassment in public spaces, workplaces, schools, and online platforms.
The proposed ordinance aims to strengthen the protection of residents and promote safer, more respectful spaces for all people in Cagayan de Oro, regardless of gender, both offline and online. via Jade Adeser/CIO | Photos by Jomar Figuracion/CIO
