IJM strengthens moves against trafficking in persons

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE
September 15, 2010

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  The International Justice Mission - Samar Satellite Office (IJM-SSO) bared its steps against trafficking in persons.

In a one-day orientation held at Maqueda Bay Hotel on September 7, 2010, IJM Project Coordinator Elena Morados told the participants that IJM with its partners have conducted inter personal conferences on human trafficking in barangays in the six areas in Samar, namely: Calbayog City, Catbalogan, Gandara, San Jorge, Sta. Margarita and Daram.

According to Project Coordinator Elena Morada, the IJM has organized and made functional some 333 Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) with partnership from the LGUs, DILG and Plan Philippines.

Somehow, Morada added, “The presence of functional BCPCs have lightened their load in the fight against human trafficking.”

“There is also an increase in reportage,” Morada explained, “as more and more citizens are being aware of their rights and responsibilities.”

As the two-year project in Samar is about to end, Morada said IJM has done its share in raising the level of awareness of the target areas on the laws on anti-trafficking. Text messages have also been helping them abort trafficking in the areas, said the IJM link.

Morada reiterates that parents should not trust even their relatives the care of their children. She added that some relatives may convince parents to send their children to Manila in the guise of looking for jobs with good salaries. Most parents who are hard-up may consider the idea, trusts the relative or any person and later realizes her wrong decision as the child maybe lured into prostitution or illegal job.

“Our mission is to protect people from violent forces of injustice,“ bared IJM.

It added that it can protect people by securing rescue and restoration for victims and ensuring that public justice systems work for the poor.

Samar Satellite office has been established to respond to the high rate of human trafficking in the province. For trafficked victims come from Samar, a book “Seek Justice, Vol 3” published by IJM  revealed that 15 of the 64 trafficked victims were from the Visayas region, mostly from the province of Samar and six were from Mindanao.

While reasons culled claims poverty was the main cause, Morada said it is the loose family values and adventurism in the young that make them vulnerable to human trafficking. As such, IJM has actively partnered with the Social Welfare Office to strengthen and intensify their Parents’ Effectivity Sessions to guide the parents on how to effectively discipline their children.