Teenagers from Calbayog City, Samar, dance at the opening ceremony for a new anti-trafficking program that is being launched by International Justice Mission with funding from the U.S. State Department.
CALBAYOG CITY–On Thursday, May 21, International Justice Mission (IJM) launched a critical new program to combat child sex trafficking in Western Samar, joined by U.S. Embassy staff, GMA-7 personality Love Añover, key partners from the local government units including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), along with international organizations including UNICEF and Plan International, and many local NGOs.
In January 2009, a special anti-trafficking office was established in Samar by IJM, an international human rights group with a long and impressive track record of successful victim rescue and perpetrator prosecution in Manila and Cebu.
Samar struggles from a serious trafficking crisis: From 2002 to 2009, 913 trafficking victims served by the DSWD, PNP and local NGOs were from Samar. With eight years of experience combating trafficking in the Philippines, it became clear to IJM that a Samar Satellite Office would be a crucial addition to its presence in the Philippines, enabling IJM staff to partner with local authorities and communities in Samar to cripple existing trafficking routes.
GMA-7 personality Love Añover opened the ceremony with strong words for her community.
“Poverty is not an excuse for parents to give away their children for a measly P500,” said Añover, who sees this project as a chance to assist the children of her home region. “I deeply understand the plight of poor children and their desire to help their families secure a better life because I too came from a very poor family in Leyte. But we worked hard and stuck together. I am so angry at the recruiters and traffickers who take advantage of the vulnerability of the poor families here in Samar. I am appealing to all of you not to trust strangers with your children. We need to work together to put a stop to this.”
Love Añover talks to the crowd about the importance of awareness in order for parents and children not to be deceived by traffickers.
Over 300 participants attended the launch of the project, joining together in the chant, “Together, let us protect our children.” A local teenager unforgettably shared her own story, recounting the lies of the trafficker who lured her from Samar to Manila. Contrary to her trafficker’s promises, she ended up working at a bar that prostituted women and children against their will. Eventually, she was rescued by the local police in conjunction with IJM.
The mission of the Samar Satellite Office is to prevent the recruitment of children in Samar for sexual exploitation by raising awareness in communities, and to and work closely with the public justice system to hold the traffickers accountable. The office will also support the government in providing strong aftercare services for trafficking survivors. The project is made possible through a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of State.
“The struggle against human trafficking is a high priority for the U.S. government and the American people, and we are pleased to support the efforts of International Justice Mission to combat human trafficking in the Philippines, including through their new field office in Samar,” said Michael Pignatello, Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. “IJM is using a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of State to work with victims to file cases in court against human traffickers, and to train and educate Philippine law enforcement and other public officials on ways to combat this heinous crime.”
On March 29, 2009 the staff from the Samar Satellite Office assisted with their first victim rescue. The Municipal Social Welfare Office of Gandara in Samar and local police forces intercepted three minors and two adult women who were being trafficked to Manila. IJM staff members were on hand to provide aftercare for the victims and transport them to a government shelter. Charges have been brought against the two perpetrators by a police officer who has undergone an anti-trafficking training led by IJM.
“We are overwhelmed with the support that we received from the government and non-government sectors here in Samar,” said Carmela-Andal Castro, Director of IJM Manila. “This is a strong and encouraging signal that we all have had enough of the deception and exploitation that the recruiters are committing against the children from this province. We are committed to working closely with the communities, government and especially the survivors of child sex trafficking here in Samar.”
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International Justice Mission
Based in the United States, IJM is an international human rights agency that has been combating human trafficking in the Philippines for nearly eight years. IJM’s four-fold purpose is to rescue victims from abuse and exploitation, provide aftercare assistance to victims, prosecute perpetrators under local laws, and seek structural transformation that prevents such exploitation from occurring due to strengthened public justice systems.
IJM investigators and lawyers have worked with government partners and NGOs to successfully rescue 154 victims of trafficking, and arrest 104 suspects, 5 of whom have been convicted of trafficking under R.A. 9208 and 11 of whom have been convicted under R.A. 7610. Based on information provided by IJM, local authorities have ordered the permanent closure of 23 bars and establishments that offered minors for sex.
