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DMW joins hands with local officials in Albay in the campaign against human trafficking |
Days before the World Day Against Trafficking was marked
on July 30, the Department of Migrant Workers has launched outreach seminars in
various provinces to ramp up its campaign against illegal recruitment and human
trafficking.
DMW organized the activities as part of its commitment
to provide a full range of assistance to overseas Filipino victims (OFW) who have
fallen prey to trafficking and exploitation and are seeking justice onsite and in
the Philippines.
The department has pledged to continue working with
member agencies of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), local
governments, civil society and private organizations, and with host governments
to prevent trafficking, strictly enforce laws prohibiting the recruitment of
children for overseas work, and extend help to survivors and their families.
The latest to be visited by DMW officials was
Legaspi City, where an anti-illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons
campaign seminar was held, alongside Albay PESO (Public Employment Service
Office) managers, OFW help desk officers and beneficiaries of the reintegration
program for teachers and livelihood assistance program.
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MOU signing in Davao City among various anti-trafficking advocates |
Earlier, a similar one-day seminar was held in Davao
City with the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau joining hands with OFW
advocates, barangay officials, PESO managers and law enforcers in taking the
campaign to the grassroots level.
DMW Assistant Secretary Francis Ron De Guzman who led
the activity thanked the department’s social partners for their firm commitment
to combatting illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
The provincial government of Davao Occidental took
the campaign a step farther by setting up OFW Help Desks in the province to
provide immediate and comprehensive assistance to OFWs and their families.
Through this effort, OFWs will be helped throughout
their journey, from pre-employment seminars, to quick response to requests for
assistance while onsite, up to their safe return and reintegration.
Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the DMW
partnership with the local government is geared towards empowering OFWs and
their families, so the OFWs are not only protected against illegal recruiters
and syndicates, but will be given immediate services when necessary.
The memorandum of agreement between the two agencies
provides for pre-employment seminars to safeguard OFWs from unscrupulous
recruiters and syndicates. The related activities include public information
drives and workers education sessions on overseas employment, covering its
potential benefits, potential risks, and legal channels for working abroad to
avoid illegal recruitment.
Other government agencies like the National
Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
(OWWA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in cooperation with the LGUs, have committed
to providing full-cycle reintegration interventions and support to OFWs and
their families.
These reintegration interventions include livelihood
assistance and skills enhancement trainings for OFWs, enabling them to explore
other employment opportunities if they choose to continue their labor journey
in the Philippines.
Davao Occidental Governor Franklin Bautista,
meanwhile, urged his constituents to support the push to empower and protect all
the OFWs in the province.
Five municipalities in Davao Occidental including
Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Malita, Santa Maria, and Sarangani also signed
the agreement with the DMW to signify their commitment to empowering Filipino
migrant workers.
Also part of the anti-illegal recruitment campaign
is the OFW Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo
Caravan which aims to strengthen collaboration between the DMW and local
government units in protecting migrant workers.
Around 150 OFWs and their families, as well as PESO managers and members of the
Philippine National Police joined the second round of the campaign held in
Tarlac province.
DMW’s nationwide drive to combat trafficking and
exploitation came in the wake of complaints that illegal recruiters had
partnered with LGUs and PESO officials in luring Filipinos all over the country
to apply for non-existent jobs abroad.