TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, 23 Feb. (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Eastern Visayas had strengthened its campaign against trafficking in person by conducting awareness sessions within and outside women friendly space.
According to DSWD regional director Nestor B. Ramos, the conduct of session awareness includes gender based violence, violence against women and children, women’s rights, women laws, leadership, basic management, numeracy and the like.
Dir. Ramos further said that there were 913 awareness sessions conducted across target areas participated by women, girls, men and boys.
The trends in trafficking are now going to urban areas were victims coming from region 8 are trafficked in Davao, Cebu and Manila.
There were also some reported cases of trafficking in the municipality of Abuyog, Leyte where the victims came from Baybay City, Ormoc City, and Cebu City.
All hot spot areas specially in the port areas of Ormoc City, Isabel, Hilongos, Bato all located in Leyte; San Ricardo in Southern Leyte; Allen, in Northern Samar are provided with municipal link personnel to prevent and stop trafficking in persons through referral from different task force and law enforcement agencies tasked to prosecute and punished abusers.
For the victims of trafficking in persons the DSWD also conducted psychological counselling. The agency also provides special training at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) through its crisis intervention unit.
According to Salome Ujano, Chair-Inter Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) the IACAT will conduct a two-day anti-trafficking in person summit this coming April 8-9 at Hotel Alejandro, Tacloban City.
Expected participants are the local chief executives, city/ municipal councillor, city/municipal social welfare officers, Philippine National Police women and children protection unit, municipal link, KALAHI-CIDSS focal person and member agencies of the regional inter agency council against trafficking.
This summit will be a venue for all identified areas for what had been done to combat this menace which destroys the precious life of the victims. (ajc/jhb/PIA-8)
