THE SANGGUNIAN Commission on Anti-Sexual Misconduct and Violence (CASMV), the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo – Manila (COA-M), and the League of Independent Organizations (LIONS) revisited the Safe Spaces Declaration (SSD) to strengthen policies against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in organizations through clearer violation definitions and stronger protection for survivors. 

Explaining the need for revisions, COA-M President Ma. Francesca Saturnino cited unclear roles and the limited capacity of organizations to address safe spaces issues. Meanwhile, former CASMV Co-commissioner Tracy May Hizole shared that the proposed changes aim to address the current SSD’s “lack of authority” in upholding safe spaces.

“Our priority [in CASMV] is the survivors, but the [SSD] document itself is not survivor-centric [because] there’s a lot of leniency [toward] the accused perpetrator […], [so the SSD] has a lot of clauses that prohibit us from actually enforcing safe spaces,” Hizole explained.

Initially implemented by the Sanggunian in 2021 and adopted by COA-M in 2023 to guide organization officers in handling SGBV cases, the SSD is also set to be extended to LIONS organizations, which previously had no such policy, according to CASMV Commissioner Mary Jasmine Ferrer.

Expanding safe spaces

In response to the gaps identified in the SSD, CASMV, COA-M, and LIONS introduced provisions that classify infractions and differentiate no-contact agreements (NCA) from no-contact orders (NCO). 

According to Ferrer, the revised SSD’s classification of infractions into minor, moderate, and major categories resolves the current version’s lack of distinction between violations while aligning it with the Code of Decorum and Administrative Rules.

Ferrer further expounded that the revised SSD also changed the previous 30-day leave of absence intervention into preventive suspensions for minor and moderate offenses, and removal from organizations for major offenses.

To strengthen survivor protections, Hizole tackled revisions clarifying sanctions for NCO and NCA cases, particularly the permanent barring of guilty perpetrators in NCO cases from joining any organizations.

Beyond policy changes, Hizole highlighted the importance of establishing Safe Spaces Committees in COA-M and LIONS to act as first responders and assist in filing SGBV cases, recognizing the emotional burden of formal proceedings on survivors.

Describing the SSD’s revision and consultation process, Ferrer explained that CASMV led the drafting since August 2025, with COA-M and LIONS reviewing the drafts before submission to UGDO in the same month, and then feedback from University offices subsequently returned to CASMV by late October 2025.

Redefining policies

Despite the sectors’ calls of urgency for changes in SSD, Hizole said its actual implementation remains at a “standstill,” following feedback from the University Gender and Development Office (UGDO) and the Ateneo legal team.

According to Ferrer, the UGDO and the legal team flagged the draft for positioning student organizations as investigative bodies—a role reserved for the Office of the Student Discipline—and clarified that students cannot issue preventive suspensions under current University rules.

Elaborating on their feedback, UGDO Director Maria Elissa Lao, PhD, emphasized that their input aims to promote safe and inclusive spaces while aligning with the University rules. She added that new policies would also require proper onboarding and retraining of organizations to be effectively implemented and accepted by the community.

With this, Hizole acknowledged the difficulty of navigating revisions and the technical limitations constraining CASMV’s discretion despite sharing the same goal as the University offices. Ferrer added that CASMV’s manpower shortages and preparations for March of Women make implementation unlikely for the second semester.

Building a safer community

Following the standstill in SSD’s approval, CASMV and COA-M moved forward by consolidating support and insights from organizations during the C0-creating Safe Spaces forum held on January 31.

Through the forum, Ferrer shared that organizations reiterated the need for clearer protocols and “matching” consequences for SGBV-related violations as well as safeguards that would prevent further burden for survivors. 

Alongside structural and content reforms, CASMV and COA-M continued advocating for mandatory Gender Sensitivity Training as a way to ensure that all organizations complete at least one seminar.

Beyond these initiatives, Saturnino posed that safe spaces must be co-created by student leaders and University offices for an “active community recall.” She also hoped that the proposed revisions will foster a collaborative and proactive approach that can be implemented promptly.

Echoing these insights, Hizole and Ferrer hoped that continued consultations with University offices and students can help institutionalize a collaborative and survivor-centric approach to safe spaces in Ateneo, with genuine commitment transforming safe spaces from symbolic agreements into actively upheld practices.