Ad firms asked to help fight traffickers

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) could use a hand in its campaign against illegal recruiters and human traffickers, agency head Hans Leo Cacdac said on Twitter.

Cacdac extended the invitation particularly to advertising agencies and public relations firms.

“Any ad agencies, PR firms or their industry associations interested in joining the campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking?” he tweeted.

Cacdac’s tweet came after Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz ordered the POEA to intensify the implementation of its strategies to protect overseas Filipino workers.

Baldoz particularly instructed the POEA to equip more trainers who could help implement Trafficking in Persons (AIRTIP) Seminars and Capability Enhancement Training (CET) for local community officials.

She said the AIRTIP seminars and the capability enhancement training were two of the major preventive strategies that the POEA had in its arsenal against illegal recruiters and human traffickers.

The POEA conducts AIRTIP seminars to educate and develop seminar trainers who are among the key stakeholders specified under the anti-illegal recruitment provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 8042, as amended by RA 10022 and of the Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208 as amended by RA 10364).

In these seminars, the trainers discuss and explain the modus operandi of illegal recruiters as well as give tips on how to avoid illegal recruitment and the legal modes of applying for overseas employment.

They also equip participants with primary skills in investigating illegal recruitment and trafficking, in partnership with prosecutors from the Department of Justice.

Participants in these seminars include officials of local government units, law enforcers, prosecutors, members of the academe, Public Employment Service Office managers, nongovernment organizations and faith-based groups.