Families of 8 trafficked girls undergo capability assessment

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

THE families of the eight young girls, who were victims of human trafficking and rescued in Baguio City, had already undergone parenting capability assessment (PCA).

Myrna S. Dadang, Sidlakan Women Crisis Center head, told Sun.Star Davao in an interview Tuesday the results of the assessment were already submitted to the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO). Each member of the victim's family had gone through the process.

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"The result of the assessment will determine kung angayan ba ibalik and mga victims sa ilahang family," she said.

Dadang said the victims are presently under the custody of Group Home for Girls, a shelter-care institution managed by the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region for girls, aged 7 to 17 years old, who are in need of special protection.

She said the CSSDO will forward the assessment to DSWD-Davao Region, which will evaluate the results.

She said if the DSWD-Davao Region will find the family still capable of keeping the victim, then the home for girls will act on the discharge papers as approved by the DSWD.

Dadang said the victims had undergone a critical incident stress debriefing, which was conducted by Mansueto Boquinquito, technical staff of Social Services Operations Division, on February 15.

Through the psycho-social intervention of the city's social workers, they found out that the eight young girls were forced to work due to poverty and lack of opportunities to earn a living.

"They were influenced due to economic reasons," Riza Ibañez, Sidlakan social worker who is assigned to assist the minor victims, said. (Arianne Caryl N. Casas)