SAGIP ng Muntinlupa: Crisis Center for Women and Children

In a previous post, we featured The Haven – National Center for Women, a 24-hour residential care facility that provides emergency shelter, care, and protection to women who are victims of violence. In this article, we present a similar facility: SAGIP ng Muntinlupa, which serves as a crisis center for women and children.

Established in 1998, SAGIP is currently managed by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Initially formed as a non-government organization, it has been registered, licensed, and accredited by the Social Welfare and Development Agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) since 2001.

SAGIP Center Muntinlupa
Image Credit: Muntinlupa Gender and Development Office / Facebook

What is SAGIP ng Muntinlupa?

SAGIP ng Muntinlupa is a 24/7 crisis center for abused women and children, their families and communities. It was founded on June 22, 1998 by the Muntinlupa City Mayor’s Office and the Zonta Club of Muntinlupa and Environs Foundation (ZCME), a women’s civic organization.

The acronym SAGIP stands for “Saklolo at Gabay ng Ina at Pamilya.” Interestingly, the term “sagip,” when translated to English, means “rescue.” Indeed, the center is committed to rescuing women and children who are victims of abuse.

In October 2017, SAGIP was turned over to the City Government of Muntinlupa and placed under the supervision of the city’s Social Services Department (SSD). A new building was constructed, including a dormitory for victims of violence against women and children (VAWC). The center’s operations is funded by the city’s GAD Fund through the Muntinlupa Gender and Development Office.

Vision and Mission

The center envisions “a compassionate and violence-free Philippines.” Its mission is to alleviate the plight of Filipino women and children against all forms of violence, and to strengthen the family as the basic foundation of our society.

Objectives

The center aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Assist abused women and children by providing physical, medical, and legal services;
  • Provide psycho-therapeutic interventions for the healing and recovery of women and children who have undergone the trauma of physical and sexual abuse, in order to restore their sense of self-worth and dignity;
  • Prevent and reduce the incidence of violence against women and children (VAWC);
  • Provide continuous information, education, and training on thee concerns through an intensified advocacy campaign on combating VAWC as well as conductive parenting effectiveness seminars; and
  • Organize a support group of women survivors of violence who will serve as watchdogs in the prevention of such crimes in the barangay level.
SAGIP Center Muntinlupa
Image Credit: SAGIP Center / Facebook

Target Clients

The target clients of SAGIP ng Muntinlupa are:

  • Physically and sexually abused women and their families;
  • Physically and sexually abused children and their families;
  • The communities in Muntinlupa where the clients live;
  • Women and children victims / survivors of sex and labor trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation; and
  • Victims / Survivors of other forms of abuse and violence committed to women and children.

Programs and Services

SAGIP ng Muntinlupa provides center-based as well as community based programs, as follows:

1. Social and Psychological Services

  • Crisis intervention
  • 24-hour hotline service
  • Surveillance and rescue
  • Information advice
  • Referral and coordination
  • Immediate care and protective custody
  • Medical emergency shelter
  • Intervention
  • Legal assistance
  • Personal support

2. After Care Services

  • Follow-up visits
  • Counseling
  • Referrals for educational assistance
  • Referrals for livelihood

3. Community Support and Monitoring

  • School-based child protection
  • Gabay Bata program (in partnership with Schools Division Office – Muntinlupa City)

4. Collaboration, Integration, and Multi-Disciplinary Services

5. Advocacy Programs in Communities and Schools

Latest Updates

Since it was established in June 1998, until August 2021, SAGIP ng Muntinlupa had served more than 11,400 women and children who were survivors of abuse and violence. To this day, it continues to provide clients with center-based and community-based programs.

Video: SAGIP Center Conducts Psycho-Education Training

Last July 13 to September 14, 2023, SAGIP ng Muntinlupa held “psycho-education training” sessions for 10 families who had experienced abuse. These sessions were part of a family-focused after care program provided by the center to its clients.

In the following video, SAGIP Acting Head Adelfa de Guzman describes these sessions, which included topics such as laws protecting women and children, anti-trafficking laws, rights and responsibilities of children, roles of parents, understanding trauma, child development, behavioral management, and more:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Meanwhile, here are some commonly asked questions and answers about SAGIP ng Muntinlupa:

1. What is SAGIP ng Muntinlupa?

SAGIP ng Muntinlupa is a 24-hour crisis center for abused women and children, along with their families and communities.

2. What are its vision and mission?

The center envisions “a compassionate and violence-free Philippines.” It seeks to alleviate the plight of Filipino women and children against all forms of abuse. It also aims to strengthen the family as the basic foundation of society.

3. What are its objectives?

The center aims to assist abused women and children by providing physical, medical, and legal services, along with psycho-therapeutic interventions. It also seeks to prevent and reduce the incidence of violence against women by providing continuous education and information, as well as by organizing groups of women survivors who will serve as watchdogs in preventing such crimes.

4. Who are its target clients?

The target clients of the center include: physically bused women, children, and their families; the communities where they live; women and children victims / survivors of sex and labor trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other forms of abuse and violence.

5. What are its programs and services?

SAGIP ng Muntinlupa provides center-based and community-based programs, including: social and psychological services; after care services; community support and monitoring; collaboration, integration, and muti-disciplinary services; and advocacy programs in communities and schools.

Contact Information: SAGIP ng Muntinlupa

If you have any questions, or if you would like to make a referral, you can get in touch with SAGIP ng Muntinlupa through the following contact details:

Address: SAGIP Building, Carnation Street, Lakeview Putatan, Muntinlupa City
Telephone: (02) 862-0061 to 63 / 0933-264-1357 / 0947-9777581
Email: sagipcenter@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagipcentermuntinlupa/

Final Thoughts

If you know any woman or child residing who is a victim of abuse, do not hesitate to refer them to facilities such as SAGIP ng Muntinlupa. Here, they can get the help they need, including medical, psychological, and legal services.

When dealing domestic violence cases, the DSWD believes that aside from the victims, the perpetrators (who are usually family members) need specific interventions, as well. And so, the department has created the CSRPDV model for transforming perpetrators of domestic violence. Read this article to learn more about it!