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Tag: IACAT

P100 million to combat human trafficking

De Lima with Human trafficking victim

Amidst stories of Filipinos being lured by syndicates to a life of misery and degradation, here’s a silver lining:

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad has granted the request of the Department of Justice for P100 million for the 2013 operations of the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking.

There were fears earlier that the DBM would only give IACAT P40 million which is even P10 million less.

Justice Undersecretary Jovy Salazar, who is in-charge of IACAT, said “The IACAT 2013 budget approval is a recognition and acknowledgment of the importance of what we do for the most vulnerable members of our society. We are truly grateful and up to the challenge.”

More funds needed in fight vs human traffickers

Relatives of victims of human trafficking. Thanks to Migrante for photo.
Okay, the Philippines has evaded going back on the Watch List of the United States Department of State’s monitoring of Trafficking of Persons.

Considering that the government has intensified export of Filipino workers overseas because it cannot provide jobs for them, continuing to avoid going back in the Watch List is a consolation, however small because the ideal situation is that there should be jobs available for Filipinos in the country so that the father or mother, son or daughter does not need to be far away from his or her family in a strange environment just to earn a living.