DSWD offers aid to trafficking victims
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured victims and survivors of trafficking of assistance and that the agency will provide support services to ensure their immediate recovery and reintegration into society.
In a statement, Asst. Secretary for Legislative Affairs Irene Dumlao, said the agency continues to assist victims and survivors of trafficking through the implementation of the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP).
“This program underscores the DSWD’s unwavering commitment to the recovery and reintegration of victims and survivors of trafficking, as well as in the protection of their rights and promotion of their well-being,” Dumlao said.
The RRPTP provides a comprehensive package of services to its target clients including temporary shelter, psycho-social counseling, skills training, as well as various forms of assistance such as transportation, financial, medical, and educational.
The DSWD also refers them to concerned agencies for other interventions and support services.
In 2023, around 1,900 victims and survivors of different cases of trafficking were assisted by the DSWD, according to Asst. Sec. Dumlao.
Among the clients served under the program were victims and survivors of forced labor, sexual exploitation, prostitution, slavery, adoption, pornography, removal/sale of organs, illegal recruitment, child trafficking, repatriation, involuntary servitude, drug trafficking, intercepted persons and others.
Dumlao emphasized that the convergence of the efforts of the government and other stakeholders has mainly contributed to this milestone.
In coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other government agencies, the RRPTP is the DSWD’s program that ensures adequate recovery and reintegration of victims and survivors of trafficking in person.
The DSWD is the co-chair of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
