BUTUAN CITY- The Regional Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (RIACAT-VAWC) chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently hosted a Mural Painting Contest on March 28-29, 2017 in Agusan National High School, this city.

The said activity is in partnership with Boysen and part of the 2017 Women’s Month Celebration with the theme, “We Make Change Work for Women”, highlighting women empowerment in today’s generation.

A total of 12 teams from different secondary schools actively participated the two (2)-day activity.

The following are the participants: Santiago National High School, Butuan Central School of Arts and Trade (BCSAT), San Vicente National High School, Magallanes National High School, Libertad National High School, Agay National High School, Nasipit National High School, Los Angeles National High School, and ANHS.

Among the contenders, students from ANHS won the 1st prize and received an amount of Php9,000, medals and certificates. While students from Nasipit National High School got the 2nd place and received Php6,000, medals and certificates, and lastly Magallanes National High School got the 3rd place and received Php3,000. The non-winning participants also received Php1,500 and a certificate of participation.

The RIACAT-VAWC is annually conducting activities during the Women’s Month Celebration to applaud women’s efforts in the community and to emphasize their empowerment.

Members of the RIACAT-VAWC include the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Justice, Peace and Integrity Creation-Integrated Development Center, Inc. (JPIC-IDC). ###(ABEGAIL R. ALVAREZ/Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)