ILOILO CITY (PIA) — The Regional Committee against Trafficking – Violence against Women and their Children (RCAT-VAWC) of Western Visayas recently held a Media Forum on Human Trafficking Awareness and Child-Sensitive Reporting, at the Go Hotel – Robinsons Place Iloilo, here.
In collaboration with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) 6, BIDLISIW Foundation Inc., and the Philippine Development Assistance Program (PDAP), the forum aimed to capacitate the media on the guidelines on child-sensitive reporting and human trafficking cases and serve as a platform for conversations about how the public understands the human trafficking situation of the country, especially in the region.
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 6 deputy regional head Easter Anne Doza, in her opening message, underscores the role of media practitioners in advocating the anti-VAW campaign and the promotion of a child-sensitive reporting. PIA Region VI photo
“We hope to maximize the influence of the ‘Fourth Estate’, and the influence of our partners in media to further our advocacies, especially in our campaign on Violence Against Women and their children, anti-human trafficking, and our promotion of child-sensitive reporting,” said Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 6 deputy regional head Easter Anne Doza in her opening message.
RCAT-VAWC Western Visayas lead secretariat Xzyrabelle Servento noted that this forum will also aid the media partners in recalling the policies and principles in covering and publishing stories of children without compromising their rights and safety.
She also cited the significant role of the media partners in the prevention of VAWC, particularly in advocating children’s and women’s rights and popularization of laws in line with such on their respective platforms.
In his message, on the other hand, CHR 6 Regional Director lawyer Jonnie Dabuco called for the cooperation of all stakeholders to work for the reduction, if not complete elimination, of trafficking cases in the country.
“Slavery was abolished more than 100 years ago. Yet, there are still cases of slavery although the name changed from slavery to trafficking… Trafficking as a problem is not the job of the Philippine National Police, DSWD, or Commission on Human Rights, but it is all our job. We all want to put an end to this problem of trafficking,” Dabuco stressed.
A panel discussion was also conducted as one of the highlights of the activity with conversation between the media practitioners and the anti-VAWC and anti-trafficking advocates including ATiP Network Inc.
Atty. Mayren P. Abusion, Department of Justice’s (DOJ) victim-witness coordinator and RCAT-VAWC 6 lawyer discusses the situationer on traffcking in persons during the Media Forum on Human Trafficking Awareness and Child-Sensitive Reporting, November 29. PIA Region VI photo
President retired Colonel Ma. Cecilia Detablan, Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Julie Anne Alegre, CHR 6 Promotion and Advocacy Division manager Christopher Montaño, and Iloilo City Police Office Public Information Officer Major Shella Mae Sangrines.
Iloilo Police and Defense Press Corps President and Daily Guardian reporter Jennifer Rendon highlighted the cooperative value of media practitioners in the metro in covering and producing trafficking and child-sensitive stories.
However, she pushed for the consistency and uniformity of the guidelines from concerned agencies and authorities in rendering such stories so as not to compromise both the best interest of the victims and the covering media practitioners.
Communication students of various state universities in Iloilo City reveive their certificates of partcipation after the orientation on the Child Protection Policy for Media Practitioners as part of the Media Forum on Human Trafficking Awareness and Child-Sensitive Reporting, November 29. PIA Region VI photo
Meanwhile, several mass communication students from various state universities in Iloilo City, who will be future media practitioners and professionals in the communication industry, also participated in the orientation on the salient features of the Republic Act No. 11930 or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act with Servento and the orientation on Child Protection Policy in Media and Child-Sensitive Reporting with PIA 6 Information Officer Franz Remar Garion as the resource person.
“As early as now, bisan students pa lang kami and future media professionals man, ma-intsindihan namon ang ini nga mga butang and with this learning, mag–seek pa kami sang padayon nga learning and kanami nga, for me, it’s a very good nga foundation gid sa amon nga mag-continue sa amo ni nga field,” shared Jeff, a fourth-year communication and media studies student of the University of the Philippines Visayas.
This undertaking is also in line with the 18-day Campaign to End Violence against Women, which started on November 25 and will end on December 12, and the Human Rights Day on December 10. (AAL/FRG/PIA6)
