AT LEAST 119 victims of human trafficking from Central Visayas were brought back to Pier 4 in Cebu City from Tubba Lubok Island in Sulu on Monday, September 25, 2023.
Leah Quintana, information officer of Department of Social Welfare and Development Central Visayas (DSWD 7), told SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, September 26, that these victims originated from smaller fishing villages in the region.
"Kasagaran fishermen, ilang family binlan og dagko nga kwarta like P30,000 but inig abot didto, dili diay sila suholan sa sakto," she said.
(Most are fishermen; their families received a large sum like P30,000, but when they arrived there, they are not well compensated.)
Quintana said these individuals, legally classified as victims of trafficking in persons (TIP), were coerced into joining a larger fishing activity in exchange for a large sum left for their families.
But they remained confined to Tubba Lubok Island, specifically in Barangay Aluh Bunah, Pangutan, Sulu, for a long period.
She did not disclose when these victims were brought to Sulu in southern Philippines.
This group of TIPs, comprising 98 families, endured forced and exploitative labor practices, working extensive hours in fishing without adequate compensation, Quintana added.
He said these individuals were transported from Sulu to Cebu City with the assistance of personnel from various agencies, including the Ministry of Social Services and Development-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MSSD-Barmm), the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Sulu, the Women and Children Protection Center-Mindanao Field Unit (WCPC-MFU), and the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippines.
Quintana said that a total of 131 individuals were rescued, but only 119 were brought to Cebu City, as the rest were returned to Sulu and Zamboanga for processing and eventual reunification with their families and communities.
She said that upon the rescue, the victims received immediate help from the social workers in Barmm, such as stress debriefing, a process through which a facilitator helps a group of people work through their response to a highly stressful or traumatic event.
Quintana said the majority of the rescued individuals are from the Visayas region, with a focus on Central Visayas.
In Cebu Province, those rescued from human trafficking came from various areas, including Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu City, Daanbantayan, and Talisay City.
Some of the victims were also from Bohol: Danao City, Talibon, Inabanga, Tubigon, Getafe, Trinidad, and Tagbilaran City.
Quintana said that under the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP) of DSWD 7, the victims families will be provided with P10,000 cash assistance each.
The RRPTP is a comprehensive program that ensures adequate recovery and reintegration services provided to trafficked persons.
In a statement on Tuesday, Director Shalaine Lucero of DSWD 7 urged the victims to start anew with the help of the DSWD.
Lucero said local government units would assess their requirements and offer suitable assistance, either locally or through National Government agencies. (KJF)