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CHILDREN ON TRAFFICKING Children's Consultation Workshop on Child Trafficking An activity Spearheaded by the Child
Laborers and Advocates for Social
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Saturday, 29 September Due to the unforeseen traffic situation, the arrival and the immediate activity fell behind schedule. The delegates arrived at the venue a little after four in the afternoon. After the much anticipated dip in the in the pool the delegates, facilitators both adult and youths ate dinner by half past six. Fifteen after seven they are already at the Calero Hall starting what was supposed to be accomplished. The youth facilitators started the ball rolling by acquainting the delegates through a game called pik-pak boom. Maribel lfacilitated the levelling of expectations and set the tone of the workshop. A much-used approach, the tree of expectations, never fails to deliver the results. There are three types of expectations: expectations on the content (green leaves), on the participation (yellow leaves) and on the venue and the facilitators (blue leaves). Cecil clarifies what is expected on the leaves of the tree of expectations. The content should contain what they expect to be discussed in this consultation. The participation must show the manner by which it should be done. The venue and the facilitators should contain what the delegates expect from the venue and the facilitators. The following are the general/ representative expectations of the whole group of delegates:
After the activity, Vincent rushes to give what the facilitators expect in return. He starts by going through the objectives of the consultation workshop and adds that the success of the activity will greatly depend on the manner and level of participation of the delegates. He also adds that the activity is here not to preach to children, rather, be preached by children themselves. The ultimate goal, he quips is 'to become a voice in our society, loud enough to be heeded by the government, trade unions, and by employers. At this point Cecil clarifies the definition of Child trafficking. She emphasizes that Child trafficking involves coercion, fraud, dupery, taking away of the child from their homes. She adds that child trafficking leads to hazardous situations. The information, shared experiences and stories will help us form our opinion and statement against child trafficking. There are at least five delegates who were victims of child trafficking according to her. They are Florivel, Edmund, Rosemarie, Junjun and Gabriel. These children are part of the thousands children experienced trafficking. We are here to reinforce these voices for these same voices to be heeded by the governments, leaders of trade unions, and employers group. The children's participation will equate as contribution to policy formulation. The Payatas area have sent also a delegate. The second major function of this activity is to impart knowledge about child trafficking and to place premium in the importance of being able to be part of the policy making or policy formulation. Lastly, a major objective is to be able to contributedocumented experiences and children's viewpoint in the upcoming ILO Asian Ministerial Meeting on Child trafficking. After all of these, Aris started to discuss the flow of the program. It is as follows:
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PAGBABAHAGI/SHARING Vincent told the delegates to divide themselves into four groups for the sharing and or updating of their respective activities from the organization they belong. The summary of the group sharings is as follows: The group S2k or Samahan ng Kabataan Para sa Kaunlaran told the developments in their Theatre Art Group (TAG) and the Visual Art Committee (VAC). S2k Also provided school Supplies to its members. The group ECHO, an organization involved with children in quarrying provided school supplies and sent its member to open forums. Also another group involved with children in quarrying, the group called Co-Multiversity provided school supplies to its members and physically abused and maltreated children were given the necessary care and protection. PRRM, an organization involved with children in the fishing sector, related the sad story of working in boats starting at 1 a.m. or 4 a.m. and finishes at around 11 a.m. in the morning. The Vincentian delegation of Payatas are involved in feeding and medical missions. VFparticipants also shared their respective stories. The most important of which came from victims of trafficking: Gonzaga,
Gabriel Monzales, 15 Gabriel, the eldest of 4 siblings, has been for some time terrorized by his drunkard father, who when under the influence of alcohol physically abuses him. The recruiter is in fact the sister of her mother. His mother told his son, in lieu of his problem with his relation with his father, it is better to go up to the mountains and join the NPA (New People's Army) rebels. Gabriel shouts back, "If I join the rebels,I may have the pretext to kill my father". So it was decided instead of joining the rebels he will just go with his aunt to Manila and find a decent job. Along with his auntie and other recruits, they sailed off to Manila. Upon disembarking at the port in Manila, they were apprehended by the Port Police as possible victims of illegal recruitment. Her aunt was found out to be lacking with proper papers to recruit. The intercepted children were turned over to the Bahay Silungan sa Daungan otherwise known as the Port Halfway House. It is a center for stranded victims of child trafficking. Later his aunt managed to retrieve Gabriel and brought him to a recruitment agency. In that agency he was ill treated. He was fed with two pieces of pan de sal for breakfast, instant noodles and rice for lunch and dinner. He was even physically abused in that agency. He then managed to escape from the agency and sought refuge in the Bahay Silungan sa Daungan. He was then turned over to the Visayan Forum's (VF) main office in Sta. Ana, Manila. The social worker in the said office brought him to ERDA-Tech to start non-formal schooling. He is presently with ERDA attending non-formal schooling at De La Salle, Greenhills, San Juan City awaiting assisstance to be sent home. Inicial, Florivel
Tigli, 14 Florivel is the eldest in the brood of five. Upon reaching fourth grade, Florivel's fatherwho is a fisherman succumbed by a massive heart attack causing a state of comatose and eventually expiration due to excessive alcohol intake. At this point, her mother decided to give away her children. Florivel's brother, the second in the brood was retained at their grandmother along with their mother. Florivel on the other hand was sent to her paternal aunt in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. She was promised to be sent to school, but nothing of it came to be, instead she was entrusted to the care of her aunt's children. She suffered verbal and physical abuse from her aunt and her family. Recently, just during the first quarter of this year, she managed to run away and went to a neighbor, where she learned of a recruiter that is in need of domestic helpers from another house help. With a neighbor friend they went with the said recruiter who incidentally was a Muslim. From Malaybalay, they went to Butuan City then into a coastal town called Nasipit and from there sailled to Manila with stops in Surigao del Norte and Cebu. The two were given new clothes to wear that would later be paid from their salaries. In the ship she learned that the muslim recruiter was actually a drug trafficker. Florivel attests to seeing the recruiter with his cohorts taking methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. Upon disembarking at the port in Manila they were directed by the recruiter to stuff their pockets with the illegal substance. This made Florivel panic. She took advantage of an oppotune moment when the recruiter was unmindful. She took her bag and placed it somewhere else as part of her plan to escape, but was foiled by her friend taking her bag away. At this point it seems that her neighbor knew all along the secret plan of the recruiter. Threatened, Florivel sought the help of the captain of the ship whom she told that her neighbor took her bag and wouldn't want to return it. The neighbor told the captain that Florivel was her daughter, at which Florivel scoffed at. The captain returned the bag to Florivel. Howeve,r upon getting off the ship the neighbor again snatched her bar away. Florivel again took the matter to the captain and this time the captain sought the assistance of the port police who brought Florivel to the Bahay Silungan sa Daungan. From there she was brought to the VF main office in Sta. Ana, Manila. She had undergone livelihood trainings while awaiting repatriation. She expect assistance from the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) to send her home. Another experience came from Jonelou, a worker from the Malabon Fish Port. His story is about a relative who was trafficked: Aguilar, Jonelou Diesta, 14 of COPE-Smahang
Kabataan Joneloue was born in Antipolo City, and when he was 3 years old his soldier father left his family into the bossom of another woman. Her mother also found love in the arms of another man who brought them to Navotas. This is where he became a pulot boy or someone who retrieves fishes that fall from their containers. He earns an average of PhP 200 per night. His stepfather, a maesto in one of the fishing vessels treated him like his own. This is where he caught stories about trafficked children from Bicol. His cousin, Joel, 17 was recruited to work in a fish farm in Bulacan. Joel is presently an overseer and maintainance boy in the said fish farm in Bicol. His duties are to guard the fish farm, help in harvesting and to feed the fish. His father goes there to collect Joel's PhP 3,000 monthly salary. Another story was about his friend who is also from Bicol, was recruited to become a house help in Bulacan. Mayang, 14 now works as a sales lady in a community corner store and at the same time as household helper. She earns PhP 2,500 a month. Jonelou says she is treated well by the employer. Similarities of all the organizations that make up CLASP. Here are what they had come up:
PRRM was emphasized to be an organization espousing Roman Catholic ideals. ERDA reportedly have not implemented the values formation seminars agreed upon in Sacramento, Taytay , Rizal. At this point, Vincent reports on the latest activities and accomplishment of CLASP and promptly distributed the latest issue of Bugkos, the official publication of CLASP. Cecil interrupts to emphasize the true essence of CLASP is that of sharing, contribution and participation.
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