Ben Madilynn
THE Department of Migrant Workers-Davao Region (DMW-Davao) is intensifying efforts to combat human trafficking and illegal recruitment by targeting social media accounts involved in these activities.
Labor Attache Angela Librado-Trinidad, regional director of DMW-Davao, shared during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas event on Tuesday morning, September 3, 2024, at NCCC VP, that the national level has seen the removal of 22,000 Facebook accounts and 7,000 TikTok accounts linked to illegal recruitment and trafficking in 2022.
“Ang daming mga Facebook na na-take down, we have about 20,000 Facebook accounts have been taken down in the last few years and then we also taken down Tiktok accounts because a lot of mga illegal recruiters who use social media masyado na silang magaling ngayon (We’ve taken down around 20,000 Facebook accounts and also TikTok accounts used by illegal recruiters. These recruiters are becoming increasingly sophisticated in using social media),” she said.
The department has also closed down training and language centers masquerading as legitimate institutions but involved in illegal recruitment without proper permits.
Trinidad said that while specific details cannot be disclosed for the safety of complainants, the department is actively monitoring these centers and has filed cases against several establishments at the regional level.
In addition to removing problematic social media accounts, DMW-Davao is focusing on prevention through pre-migration and pre-employment orientation seminars to guide workers on legal migration processes.
She urged the public to report suspicious agencies or recruitment activities to help the department assess their legitimacy.
For those who have fallen victim to illegal recruitment, DMW provides cash assistance to ensure they can sustain themselves throughout the legal process.
As of June 2024, the DMW reports that most Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the Davao Region are from Davao del Sur (6,482), followed by Davao del Norte (2,405), Davao de Oro (986), Davao Oriental (774), and Davao Occidental (161).
The top occupations for OFWs from the region are Household Service Workers (1,084), teachers (256), cleaners (108), nurses (70), and factory workers (39). The most common destinations are the United Arab Emirates (709), Saudi Arabia (624), Kuwait (407), Thailand (246), and Qatar (227). RGP
