By Nanette Guadalquiver
BACOLOD CITY, (PNA) — The provincial government of Negros Occidental together with seven local government units in the province signed a memorandum of understanding with three government agencies to fight illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
The signing rites held at the Capitol here Wednesday was participated by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The signatories from the government were Regional Directors Yolanda Porschwitz of TESDA, Ponciano Ligutom of POEA-Department of Labor and Employment, and Ron Bartolome for OWWA.
Technology Livelihood and Development Center Manager Ricardo Calseña signed the MOU in behalf of the provincial government.
The seven LGU-partners are the municipalities of Binalbagan, Manapla, Hinigaran, Pontevedra and the cities of Bago, San Carlos and Bacolod.
Mayors Emmanuel Aranda of Binalbagan and Mayor Lourdes Escalante of Manapla signed the MOU for their respective municipalities while Executive Secretary Larry Yulo represented Bago City.
Public Employment Services Office Managers Anthony Jose Ayco of Bacolod City, Delia Camasura of San Carlos City, Noli Magkumot of Hinigaran, and Phoebe Pabalinas of Pontevedra also signed in behalf of their respective LGUs.
POEA Licensing and Regulation Office chief Robert Larga said the campaign to make the LGUs free from illegal recruitment and human trafficking commenced in 2006.
So far, 477 towns and cities have adopted the campaign.
The MOU noted that many Filipinos leave everyday for overseas employment in search of job opportunities, and consequently alleviate the economic status of their families back home, contributing to the stability of the country.
Recruitment malpractice such as illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons, affect labor mobility and prey on the vulnerability of migrant workers and have become a serious and general concern of government, especially the POEA and OWWA, the MOU also stated.
Moreover, it said that the POEA has been continuously strengthening its information campaign against illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons, however, it needs to address the problem at the source communities through aggressive and sustained local action to provide information to overseas employment applicants and to protect them from recruitment malpractices.
Republic Act 8042, as amended by R.A. 10022, mandates that local government units, in partnership with the POEA, other concerned government agencies and non-government organizations advocating for the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers, take a proactive stance by being primarily responsible for the dissemination of information to their constituents on all aspects of overseas employment.