The “pandemic of human trafficking” has threatened thousands of Filipinos who “just want to provide a decent life for their families,” said Mendoza.
For the first two months of 2023, the Bureau of Immigration recorded at least 6,000 victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment in the country. In June, over 2,700 victims were rescued in Las Piñas, following other rescues from other towns.
According to Mendoza, most fall victims to illegal recruiters and human traffickers due to poverty, lack of decent and secured jobs, soaring prices and unlivable wages.
A “one recruiter-to-one deployer correspondence” must be observed to end trafficking, according to a TUCP statement. This means a one-on-one correspondence between the foreign recruiter and the deployer in the Philippines.
In today’s situation, there can be as many as six recruitment agencies to one Philippine deployer. Hypothetically, if “one recruitment agency is suspended, the Philippine deployer can still deploy to the other five.”
Moreover, the country should impose additional manpower and funding for smaller airports and seaports of border patrol task forces, TUCP said.
In addition, TUCP urged that an education campaign would help end human trafficking. This will raise the awareness of Filipinos on issues and help them detect red flags on job offers.
Victims of human trafficking should be provided a “national reintegration program,” TUCP added as the last part of the key measures.
According to TUCP, government agencies should be on the “frontlines” and provide victims a skills database to match them with a new decent job.
“Amid the pandemic of human trafficking that already threatened thousands of Filipino victims who just want to provide a decent life for their families, the Philippines should lead in this global fight,” said Mendoza. - Patrick V. Miguel
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