Human trafficking a thriving business

By Ric R. Puod, Senior Reporter
Manila Times, December 17, 2003

Human trafficking in the country is becoming an underground economy. The demand for human commodities in brothels, in sweatshops and even in households is evident, according to the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, citing the high incidence of domestic trafficking.

Women and children, usually school dropouts and job hunters, abound in poverty-stricken areas in the Visayas and Mindanao. "The promise of greener pastures lures young provincial girls deprived of better opportunities," said the Visayan Forum, a nongovernmental organization working for the rights of migrant workers. Although many of them are rescued, the human traffickers have not let up.

"Well, we are not giving up hope," said Social Welfare Officer Myrna Burgos, whose office is carrying out a P12.2-million antihuman trafficking program funded by the United Nations.

The government is seeking ways to suppress human trafficking and wants to deal a big blow to this organized crime. One of the strategies it will carry out through the social welfare department is to deploy social workers at prosecutor's offices nationwide to help victims press charges against human traffickers.

This move, Burgos said, will at least ensure that complaints are properly addressed. "In the meantime we will hire victims' assistance workers in three pilot areas: Metro Manila, Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga," she said. "This will help prosecute many traffickers by the time the program is fully implemented next year."

The case of Minda and Bianca, whose complaints against their illegal recruiter may face dismissal, provides the Multisectoral Network Against Trafficking in Persons with a guide on how to proceed against human traffickers. Burgos said the Department of Justice is aware that efforts to prosecute them are very weak and that "the problem worries some judges." But under the UN-funded program, Burgos said, judges must undergo capability building, and the government will launch a massive information campaign against human trafficking.

The Visayan Forum, aware that human traffickers are well entrenched in the communities and in other transit points, has been expanding its offices and halfway houses nationwide. It now has offices in Bacolod City, Batangas and Davao. Soon it will set up halfway houses in Batangas and Matnog, Sorsogon.

The forum has also strengthened its partnership with law enforcers and shipping companies to take effective measures in intercepting the victims and arresting human traffickers. "We want to develop the capability of our partners, especially the shipping companies, to deal with human trafficking," said Maria Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of the Visayan Forum.

"If we are involved, the campaign against human trafficking will be more effective," said Gina Virtusio, communications manager of WG&A. The company has given free rides to victims being repatriated to the provinces. "Our operations group is very much into the system of how to spot both victims and perpetrators of human trafficking," she added. "We are taking this problem very seriously." WG&A's responsibility to help the government contain this crime is beyond profit.

This move, Burgos said, will at least ensure that complaints are properly addressed. "In the meantime we will hire victims' assistance workers in three pilot areas: Metro Manila, Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga," she said. "This will help prosecute many traffickers by the time the program is fully implemented next year."

The case of Minda and Bianca, whose complaints against their illegal recruiter may face dismissal, provides the Multi-sectoral Network Against Trafficking in Persons with a guide on how to proceed against human traffickers. Burgos said the Department of Justice is aware that efforts to prosecute them are very weak and that "the problem worries some judges." But under the UN-funded program, Burgos said, judges must undergo capability building, and the government will launch a massive infor-mation campaign against human trafficking.

The Visayan Forum, aware that human traffickers are well entrenched in the communities and in other transit points, has been expanding its offices and halfway houses nationwide. It now has offices in Bacolod City, Batangas and Davao. Soon it will set up halfway houses in Batangas and Matnog, Sorsogon.

The forum has also strengthened its partnership with law enforcers and shipping companies to take effective measures in intercepting the victims and arresting human traffickers. "We want to develop the capability of our partners, especially the shipping companies, to deal with human trafficking," said Maria Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of the Visayan Forum.

"If we are involved, the campaign against human trafficking will be more effective," said Gina Virtusio, communi-cations manager of WG&A. The company has given free rides to victims being repatriated to the provinces. "Our operations group is very much into the system of how to spot both victims and perpetrators of human trafficking," she added. "We are taking this problem very seriously." WG&A's responsibility to help the government contain this crime is beyond profit.