Last July 29th, I attended the launch of Sagip Babae Foundation at Bondi&Bourke in Makati. Sagip Babae Foundation is a newly created organization that is dedicated to offering safe spaces for women who have suffered from and survived domestic violence, sexual harassment, and abuse in its myriad forms.

Sagip Babae aims to provide aid and relief for victims in the aftermath of their traumatic experience which can have severe short or long term effects on their mental health.

As an admin of a Mom Support group in Facebook, I know that a lot of people need to be educated about sexual harassment, abuse and such, especially fellow women. Hence, it is nice to know that Sagip Babae Foundation‘s Facebook community will hold webinar, and bi-monthly group sessions, and offer self-care strategies, wellbeing education, as well as more information on meditation and holistic healing. It will seek the best possible path of recovery and healing for beneficiaries by carefully matching them to the appropriate partner experts and practitioners. The foundation will shoulder all expenses for therapy and medication within the first month of participation, as well as half of the costs in the second and third months.

Sagip Babae founders Francesca Fugen and Melissa Rina Profeta’s know the deleterious effects of abuse with own life experiences. Thus, cite their personal trauma, as well as those of women they have helped, as their inspiration for starting Sagip Babae. Fugen and Profeta hope to provide—from the get-go—comforting assistance to women victims, aged 18 and above, from all over the country.

The foundation will have a dedicated counselor for the initial session with beneficiaries. Core team members, along with volunteers for the foundation, have undergone mental health first responder and psychological support training to ensure that each beneficiary receives competent treatment during their time with the foundation.

Sagip Babae commits to providing mental healthcare through its partnership with experts in the field such as Mr. AJ Sunglao, a licensed psychologist and mental health advocate, and Ms. Charlene R. Lucas, a registered psychologist and international clinical traumatologist. For a more extensive approach, Sagip Babae has also consulted with Third Eye Wellness, a provider of holistic healing services, and Ms. 

Jenny Umali, a life coach and Reiki practitioner. 

To show their support for Sagip Babae’s cause, a slew of mental health professionals, officials from relevant government agencies and organizations, and influencers attended the launch. These included Ms. Carmen Reyes Zubiaga, an advocate for gender equality and chairperson at Angat Persons with Disabilities United 2030; Ms. Angel Dei, a social media content creator and women’s advocate; Ms. Cassie Uyoco, an influencer who advocates for destigmatizing mental health; Ms. Joyce Pring, a TV presenter and podcaster; and Cheris Faustino, a social media content creator and mental health advocate. A recorded video message from Senator Bong Go was shown at the event.

Mental health is often neglected in the Philippines, but, it’s time to be a part of the solution to break this stigma. Women who went through abuse need support to survive this cruel part of their lives. The healing process may not be easy but it’s nice to know that Sagip Babae Foundation is now available for support.

So, let us support Sagip Babae Foundation so they can provide aid and relief for victims of abuse. You can contact them on their website, Sagipbabaefoundation.com , Instagram account and Facebook Page.