CAGAYAN de Oro City Councilor Joyleen Mercedes Balaba is bent on creating a localized version of the Safe Spaces Act, otherwise known as Republic Act No. 11313.
It can be recalled that under Section 8 of the Bawal Bastos Law, local government units (LGUs) are enjoined to pass an ordinance localizing the applicability of the Act, imposing fines of gender-based sexual harassment as defined by the law and creating an anti-sexual harassment desk for the same purpose.
According to Balaba, Cagayan de Oro City doesn’t yet have an ordinance that corresponds to RA 11313 to this date.
Emerging from their weekly session October 3 and engaging with media in an impromptu interview, Balaba reported that her proposed ordinance has stuck at the City Legal Office in 2019 and she intends to revive it during her last term.
Balaba said that under her proposal, an anti-sexual harassment desk will be created and the persons manning it must undergo orientation and seminar.
At the same time, she lauded the City Council’s passage earlier today of the updated amendments of the anti-bullying ordinance but at the same time asserted that the Safe Spaces Act needs to have a localized law as well.
Balaba argued that unlike anti-bullying and anti-violence against women, Safe Spaces Act is tailor-made for underprivileged gender especially the LGBTQ+ who are more vulnerable to cat calls in public spaces, workplaces, schools and online.
She said it is high time for this highly urbanized city to establish such ordinance.
As Balaba navigates her third and final term as councilor in the second district, she is leaving a legacy of legislation behind in the fields of tourism, social services and more.
