Davao City, Philippines — The Davao City government, through its City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), has ramped up efforts to combat illegal recruitment and human trafficking. Led by Rosevic Joey Jayme, Coordinator of the OFW Families Welfare and Crisis Center and Officer-In-Charge of the Social Welfare Operation Division, the campaign is providing barangay officials and local service providers with key information to detect and prevent unlawful recruitment practices.
Jayme emphasized that these efforts, organized with the Local Committee Against Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Women and Children (LCAT-VAWC), aim to enhance community knowledge and vigilance. From November 13 to 14, the committee will conduct specialized training sessions to raise awareness about Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons (AIRTIP). This training will also extend to airport-based personnel on November 15, equipping them with skills to monitor suspicious activities.
“We are providing guidance to our service providers and barangay officials to prevent illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons,” Jayme explained in an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio. The workshops will highlight current welfare and employment services and educate local leaders about recent legal amendments addressing illegal recruitment and trafficking.
Jayme also warned the public about common schemes used by illegal recruiters, especially fraudulent overseas job offers shared on social media. Notable schemes include:
- Escort services: Assisting undocumented workers to bypass checkpoints.
- Tourist-worker scheme: Workers exit as “tourists” but are deployed as laborers abroad.
- Assumed identity: Minors or others assume fake identities to work abroad.
- Direct hiring, trainee worker, and backdoor schemes: Approaches involving unauthorized recruitment tactics.
Despite no recorded cases of illegal recruitment or trafficking in 2024, the city remains vigilant. A help desk is stationed at the Davao airport, along with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) XI, to assist and intercept red-flagged cases.
Dabawenyos encountering illegal recruitment or trafficking can reach out to the IACAT hotline at 1343, contact the OFW hotline at 09629966520, or visit the Women and Children’s Protection Unit in local police stations. Families of affected OFWs are encouraged to visit the CSWDO office or message the OFW Families Welfare and Crisis Center on Facebook for assistance.
