March 29, 2024

The Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Cordillera and the Regional Inter-agency Committee against Trafficking and Violence against Women and their Children conducted a training of application of guidelines and procedures on the identification of trafficked persons.

Personnel of the Philippine National Police and local social welfare and development offices (LSWDOs) in areas with recorded trafficking in person cases attended the activity.

Areas with representatives include La Trinidad, Tuba, Sablan, Itogon, Tublay, and Atok in Benguet, and Baguio City; Tabuk City, Kalinga; Lagawe, Ifugao; Bangued, Abra; and Bontoc, Mountain Province. Representatives from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office-Mountain Province and Police Regional Office Cordillera also joined the event.

As part of DSWD’s technical assistance to its partners and stakeholders, the participants were provided with learning sessions focusing on the guidelines and procedures in the identification of trafficked persons, process of application of victim’s compensation to the Board of Claims, process of claiming civil damages payment per court decision, and process of conducting gender-sensitive interview on trafficked persons.

Baguio City Assistant Prosecutor Ruth P. Bernabe and lawyer Mary Inglay Capuyan-Fokno served as the subject matter experts for the activity conducted on Oct. 5 to 6.

From 2015 to Sept. 30, there are 145 cases of trafficking in persons that have been reported to the DSWD-CAR. Most of the clients are from different areas outside the region but rescued or reported in CAR, followed by Baguio City with 31, Benguet with 28, Apayao with 22, and Abra with 15. Ifugao and Kalinga recorded five each and Mountain Province has two

Concerned individuals may visit their respective LSWDO or police station in their area or call the DSWD helpline number +63906-077-6901 for assistance. – Press release