TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) – – The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) Region 2 has taken a significant step in combating trafficking in persons (TIP) by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Partnership for Development Assistance in the Philippines (PDAP) recently.
This collaboration aims to strengthen efforts to prevent trafficking, protect survivors, and prosecute offenders in Cagayan Valley.
The agreement was signed by Department of Justice Regional Prosecutor Rommel C. Baligod, Chairperson of IACAT Region 2, and PDAP Executive Director Gil T. Salazar.
The agreement supports IACAT Region 2’s three-year counter-trafficking in persons (CTIP) plan, which focuses on advocacy campaigns in schools and vulnerable communities, capacity-building for duty-bearers, policy strengthening, and survivor reintegration initiatives.
“This partnership enables us to take a more proactive approach in addressing trafficking through awareness campaigns, skill enhancement for stakeholders, and survivor-centered support,” Baligod said.
The initiative is bolstered by the Strengthening Local Systems and Partnerships for More Effective and Sustainable Counter-Trafficking in Persons in the Philippines (Strength CTIP) Program, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines and PDAP.
During the event, USAID Philippines Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks commended IACAT Region 02 and the Regional Anti-Child Online Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force (RACETTE) II for their dedication to the anti-trafficking cause. “We look forward to this partnership and remain committed to supporting efforts that advance the Philippine government’s strategic actions against trafficking,” she said.
In 2024, Region 02 reported 263 trafficking cases filed in courts or prosecutors’ offices, with prostitution and sexual exploitation comprising the majority of cases. Thirteen victims were rescued, and eight traffickers were convicted.
Trafficking in persons, defined under Republic Act 9208 as amended, includes recruitment, transportation, or harboring of individuals through coercion, fraud, or abuse of power for exploitation. Globally, TIP is the third most profitable criminal activity after drug and arms trafficking, with millions of individuals, including women, children, and vulnerable groups, falling victim to this human rights violation.
The partnership between IACAT Region 02 and PDAP marks a decisive effort to curb TIP in the region and ensure stronger local mechanisms, policies, and survivor-focused interventions. (ALM/PIA Region 2)
