The City Government of Davao, through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), strengthens its awareness campaign against illegal recruitment and trafficking.
Rosevic Joey Jayme, Coordinator of the OFW Families Welfare and Crisis Center and the Officer-In-Charge of the Social Welfare Operation Division (SWOD), said they are reinforcing their campaign against illegal recruitment and trafficking by providing information awareness to barangay officials and providers on the ground.
“We are providing inputs sa atoang mga (to our) service providers and officials in the barangay to prevent illegal recruitment and trafficking in person,” Jayme said in an interview with the city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio.
She said the Local Committee Against Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Women and Children(LCAT-VAWC) will be conducting awareness training for Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons (AIRTIP) from November 13 to 14.
The office will also teach airport-based service providers on November 15.
She said the training will enhance community awareness among barangay officials, volunteers, and providers about the current welfare and employment services and involve them in monitoring unlawful recruiting and human trafficking activities.
She added the training would also educate community leaders on the amendment on the laws regarding illegal recruitment and trafficking.
Jayme also urged the public to be vigilant against illegal recruitment, especially fake overseas job postings on social media platforms.
She said schemes used by illegal recruiters include escort services, wherein undocumented workers are escorted at the airport or any international exit to evade checkpoints set to check on the documents of workers; tourist–worker scheme, wherein workers leave the country purportedly as a tourist but in reality are being deployed as workers abroad; and assumed identity where workers, particularly minors, are deployed abroad under an assumed identity.
Other schemes include direct hiring, trainee worker scheme, backdoor work scheme, tie-up system, visa assistance/consultancy scheme, and blind ads scheme.
She, however, said there are no documented instances of unlawful trafficking or recruitment in Davao City for 2024.
She added they also have a help desk at the airport.
“Sa ato’ng airport, naa ta’y monitoring of minors travelling ug naa pod ta’y Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking or IACAT XI nga help desk didto sa airport, nga kung in any case naay ma-red flag or ma-tag nga trafficking case naa ta’y partner agencies nga help desk didto who can assist aron madakpan or ma-stop nato ang krimen (In our airport, we have the monitoring of minors travelling and we also have the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking or IACAT XI help desk at the airport, that if in any case there is a red flag or a trafficking case is tagged we have partner agencies help desk there who can assist them so that we can arrest or stop the crime),” she said.
She said Dabawenyos who encounter illegal recruitment and trafficking may go to the IACAT or call the IACAT hotline at 1343. They may also go to the Women and Children’s Protection Unit in police stations or send a message to the Department of Migrant Workers Facebook Page or call the OFW hotline at 09629966520.
Families of OFWs who experience such schemes may also visit the CSWDO office from Monday to Friday or send a message to their Facebook page OFW Families Welfare and Crisis Center or OFW Center Davao. CIO
