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Friday, November 18, 2005
Anti-trafficking roadshow launched
DAVAO City will be bustling with a weeklong campaign activity as it launched the Davao Roadshow Campaign against Trafficking in Persons on Tuesday. A Usaid supported activity, the roadshow will be joined by key campaign groups and government agencies in increasing local efforts to suppress human trafficking in the country.
The rise of trafficking victims in the past years has pushed advocacy efforts of the government, particularly the Department of Justice as chair to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
Local government units, together with NGOs, call for the strict implementation of Republic Act 9208 (known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons law), which was enacted in Mary 26, 2003 to suppress human trafficking, especially of Filipino women and children. The law stipulates the provision of aid to victims of trafficking and the organization of the council, which foresees the implementation of anti-trafficking efforts of the government.
The Roadshow Campaign includes activities in pursuit of the localization of the IACAT. The organization of local councils will adopt its functions for a collaborative accomplishment of the IACAT programs.
Supporting the Trafficking in Persons roadshow is the Filipino Initiatives Against Trafficking in Persons (Fiat), joined by Philippines Against Child Trafficking (Pact) with Ecpat Philippines as focal point. Pact is the national campaign launched in 2003 to heighten awareness on child trafficking issues in the issues in the country. It is supported by NGO members active in diverse areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with community education initiatives in areas at risk Other FIAT members include: the IACAT, the Multi-Sectoral Network Against Trafficking (MSNAT) and Coalition Against Trafficking of Women-Asia Pacific (CATW-AP).
Davao City has been identified as a trafficking hotspot and is cited as an origin, transit point, and destination of women and children victims, with Sasa Port as the main gateway of human trafficking operations. In 2004, Ecpat reports on child sex trafficking revealed the recruitment and transport of children from Davao to international destinations such as Malaysia and Japan.
Weak political will and lax enforcement of the anti-trafficking law are among the deterrents in suppressing human trafficking in the country, next to poor education, unemployment, and the increasing presence of local establishments promoting commercial sex.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (November 18, 2005 issue)
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