KIDAPAWAN CITY, (PNA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Mindanao has called for an increased vigilance against human trafficking, especially in areas devastated by natural calamities.
DSWD co-chairs the Inter-Agency Councilor Against Trafficking (IACAT) in Central Mindanao, identified areas where human trafficking is likely to happen as Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley.
Also devastated by floods were the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Saranggani and human trafficking is likely to happen.
The call was made as part of the Department’s intensified advocacy campaign against human trafficking in Davao Region.
Together with other IACAT members, the DSWD spearheaded the launched of the 2013 Advocacy Campaign Against Human Trafficking at the NCCC Mall Atrium in Davao City.
The campaign is not limited to Davao region as the same is likely to happen, especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where man-made and natural calamities normally occur year round.
The launching in Davao region to cover the whole of Mindanao was highlighted by the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Local Government Units and IACAT members in Davao region.
It aims to raise massive awareness on the dangers of trafficking through the distribution of advocacy materials to partner agencies, mall representatives, taxi companies, and schools.
Based on the DSWD 2012 data, there were 1,376 individual-victims of various kinds of trafficking nationwide. For the first semester of 2013, DSWD has recorded 645 cases.
The victims were provided with adequate recovery and reintegration services under the DSWD’s Recovery and Reintegration Programs for Trafficked Persons.
“Poverty is one of the main root causes of trafficking. In times of crisis, sickness and hunger, families in dire financial needs become easy prey to illegal recruiters who will promise them lucrative jobs in the country’s major cities or abroad,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Dinky Soliman.
“Don’t be a victim,” she added.
The DSWD said that the most common “modus operandi” of human traffickers is to entice parents to allow their young daughters to leave the province and work in Manila as domestic helpers with promises of huge salaries but end up in other jobs not as promised.
Another is offering the victims high paying jobs abroad with fake visas, marriage certificates and other travel documents to facilitate their exit.
To differentiate between legal and illegal recruiters, always check the validity of the documents being presented, DSWD said.
DSWD added that the public should understand that trafficking is a nationwide threat and that Filipinos must act and report any information on human trafficking through the DSWD hotline number (02) 9319141 or the IACT Action Line 1343.