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Sunday, March 23, 2003
Human trafficking rampant in Davao
By Christie Enriquez-Uayan
IN DAVAO City, an average of 30 people a month, mostly minors, with ages ranging from 14-22, fall prey to human trafficking.
Melanie Regalado, one of the social workers manning the Bahay Silungan sa Daungan, a halfway house located near the Sasa seaport, made this disturbing revelation during a forum over the weekend.
The figure, however, pertains to those who are detected by the Port Police and the Visayan Forum Foudation (VFF), an organization that aims to put an end to human trafficking.
VFF President Ma. Cecilia Oebanda said the exact number is hard to estimate, but a rough guess could be two to three times more.
Regalado said most of the intercepted victims are women, "About 25 out of the 30. Konti lang ang lalaki," she said in an interview.
On a monthly account, most of the minors, according to Regalado, come from Davao del Sur, particulary Digos City and Bansalan. She also noted that some teenagers who are prevented from becoming victims of trafficking are residents of Davao del Norte and Kidapawan. Only a few of the victims hail from Davao City.
"Mostly sa kanila, nire-recruit for work sa Manila para maging factory workers and domestic workers)," Regalado noted.
Roland Pacis, Campaigns Officer of the Visayan Forum said that recruiters have become cleverer in eluding authorities. "Kung naghihigpit kami ng security sa mga ports, mag ta-travel by land na naman ang mga biktima, pupunta sila ng Surigao or Butuan at sasakay ng bus bound for Manila," he said.
All of the victims, according to Pacis, carry a one-way ticket with them bound for Manila. The recruiters, to prevent them from coming home or to bar the authorities from contacting their kin, if intercepted also confiscate their contact number, photos of their relatives and families.
In a study made by the Visayan Forum, it was known that about 2.5 million women and girls travel to Manila annually. Sixty-five percent of the intercepted women and children travel without knowing their destination, work, and employers.
Others, about 62 percent, said their fare is deducted from their salary, and that 50 percent to 70 percent additional cost is reduced as finder's pay by the recruiters. Some of the victims (31 percent) also disclosed that they do not have enough money at all during the travel.
Oebanda said it is a quite difficult to spot a victim. But a short talk with the suspected child, however will reveal the truth. "Most of them say pupunta sila ng Cubao or Cavite, pero pag tinanong mo saan sa Cubao? Saan sa Cavite? Hindi nila alam. Wala silang maibigay na address," she said.
She said the Visayan Forum is closely coordinating with the Port Police, Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to intensify its campaign against child and women trafficking. CEU
(March 23, 2003 issue)
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