TALIKALA Inc., a non-profit organization that gives protection to children who are victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking, urged the government to establish an "exclusive shelter for trafficked children."
Although there is already an existing building made available for women and girls who are victims of several abuses in Davao City, social worker Sarah Jane Escabarte sees the urgent need to create another home that only caters to children victims of trafficking.
This is to ensure proper protection and thorough management of the cases of the victims.
Esacabarte cited that trafficking victims have special needs different from other victims of sexual abuses such as rape.
"This is what we are pushing now as part of our campaign. We already have consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and part of our recommendation is to really have an exclusive shelter for trafficked children," Escabarte told SunStar Davao Tuesday, October 18.
The shelters will deliver the special needs of sex-trafficking victims who need treatment.
"With the sensitivity of the trafficking cases, it really needs proper counseling, and there are things to be considered. There are languages that may seem discriminating on their part like commercial sex worker; they are not workers but victims. They've been exploited by people, the perpetrators," Escabarte added.
Escabarte also said that in the mixed shelter where different cases of women and children were housed, the prostituted children often receive criticism after knowing their background, thus the organization realized the necessity for it to be addressed.
"The counseling for traffic children is different," Escabarte said.
Some service providers, instead of understanding the root cause of the victim's situation, often tend to judge them instead and receive a tirade in return for ending up that way.
"Mostly victims lose their trust on some service providers because of the pre-judgment they get," Escabarte said.