The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) urged the public to report any human trafficking case they know of to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) action line 1343.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that human trafficking is truly a rampant problem in many municipalities, with complex roots in poverty and in human greed.

Human trafficking as defined under Republic Act 9208 or Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 is the recruitment, transportation, transfer or harboring, or receipt of persons with or without the victim’s consent or knowledge, within or across national borders by means of threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of position, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person, or, the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation which includes at a minimum, the exploitation or the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery, servitude or the removal or sale of organs.

“The deception, illegal transfer, and abuse of Filipinos simply looking for better opportunities in the city and abroad are realities that we cannot ignore.  We have to find more ways to combat and prevent it from recurring,” Sec. Soliman said.

She said 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 IACAT Action Line.

The Secretary added, “Don’t be a victim.  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,” Sec. Soliman stressed.

As co-chair of the IACAT, the DSWD, in partnership with member-agencies of the Council, provides a complete package of services through the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP).

RRPTP is a comprehensive program that ensures the provision of adequate recovery and reintegration services to trafficked persons.

Utilizing a multi-sectoral approach, it delivers a complete package of services that will enhance the psychosocial, social, and economic needs of the victims.  It also enhances their awareness, skills, and capabilities; as well as supports their families and the communities where they will eventually return to.

The RRPTP also improves community-based systems and mechanisms that ensure the recovery of the victims, and prevent other family and community members from being victimized.

As of November 2015, the DSWD has assisted a total of 1,870 victims through the RRPTP.

The Department has spent P 17,119,303.75 to help them in their rehabilitation and reintegration process with their families and communities.

Recently, the Department has added additional services under the program such as medical and educational assistance for victims and their families. The Department also provides auxiliary services such as such as board and lodging, documentation, and other incidental expenses to those with on-going cases.

Meanwhile, IACAT reported a total of 224 convictions since 2010 with 247 persons convicted.  The latest conviction was handed down this November by Presiding Judge Ralph S. Lee of Quezon City Trial Court, sentencing the perpetrator to life imprisonment for violation of Section 4: Acts of Trafficking in Persons of RA 9208.

IACAT is the inter-agency body which is mandated to implement the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. It is co-chaired by DSWD and the Department of Justice (DOJ), with member agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine National Police, Bureau of Immigration (BI), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and the National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women. ###