Workshop on the Philippine Guideline for the Protection of Trafficked Children held

ILOILO CITY, July 3 (PNA) – A three-day workshop on the Philippine Guideline for the Protection of Trafficked Children, which started July 1, is being held at the Sarabia Hotel and Convention Center here in Iloilo city.

Ma. Salome C. Ujano, national coordinator of the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT) which is a network of child rights advocates and spearheading the workshop, said that the workshop is the first time for different stakeholders from the provinces of Capiz, Negros Occidental, Antique, Iloilo city and province.

The different stakeholders-participants in the workshop are the prosecutors, police enforcers, social workers, and even members of the civil society who are directly providing services to the trafficked children.

“Through this workshop the different stakeholders are informed of the existence of the Philippine Guideline and on how they could integrate their practices in assisting victims of child trafficking,” Ujano said.

The Philippine Guideline sets out proposed principles to promote the human rights of trafficked children. It has been developed based on relevant international and national human and child rights instruments, national laws, and other relevant guidelines.

It also provides for the establishment of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) up to the local level which has also been stipulated in Sec. 20 of Republic Act 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003).