THE Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Region 11 (Iacat-11) has reinforced its efforts to combat human trafficking (TIP) and the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (Osaec) by partnering with educational institutions to implement a series of information and education campaigns.
These initiatives aim to raise awareness among parents and school counselors, empowering them with knowledge and strategies to help safeguard children from exploitation.
Atty. Janet Grace B. Dalisay-Fabrero, Regional Prosecutor and Iacat-11 Network chairperson, said the effort is aimed at maintaining the region’s Tier 1 status, which has been held for nine consecutive years.
In June 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally recognized the Philippines as a Tier 1 country, affirming that it meets the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking.
Fabrero emphasized the need to engage parents at the grassroots level, noting a disturbing trend: recruiters are increasingly known to victims through family connections rather than as outright strangers.
“Ang trend ngayon is hindi na masyado stranger yung mga recruiter, kung hindi related sa victim,” Dalisay Fabrero said.
(The trend now is that recruiters are no longer strangers, but they are related to the victim.)
To support this effort, Iacat-11 is partnering with the Department of Education and private institutions to train school counselors, the first online support for children in distress. The agency has requested dedicated time slots in school programs to disseminate critical information on TIP and Osaec, and plans to tap into Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) during their annual consultations to extend outreach.
“We have been conducting a lot of information dissemination in different schools, not only in public schools but also in private schools. We usually write to the institution and request ample time for us to disseminate [information], particularly about Osaec and Tip,” she said.
“We realize that this could be efficiently and effectively implemented if we tap the Parents- Teachers Association, particularly in public schools, because every year they do the general consultation where parents are required to attend,” she added.
Dalisay-Fabrero also said that according to a study by Justice and Care, extreme poverty drives many parents to facilitate online exploitation, lured by quick financial gain. Over time, communities normalize the practice – a phenomenon she calls “contextualization.”
She added that a common but dangerous misconception among parents is “no touch, no harm,” which further encourages participation.
Gladys A. Credo, lead secretary of the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children at the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Davao, highlighted the agency’s Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP).
The program offers psychosocial counseling, educational assistance, transportation for return to home provinces, temporary shelter, and livelihood training to help survivors rebuild their lives.
In the first half of 2025, DSWD-11 assisted 65 survivors of prostitution, Osaec, illegal recruitment, and surrogacy ― down from 80-90 cases in 2024, 36 of these were carried over from the previous year, while 29 were newly reported.
She added that residents who suspect trafficking activity are encouraged to report to local authorities or the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), or call the Iacat hotline at 0966-711-0356. PIA DAVAO