The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) called on the government to establish human trafficking help desks in identified pilot areas to address the country’s human trafficking problems.

ULAP president Dakila ‘Dax’ Cua said the establishment of help desks is a welcome move that ensures a targeted approach in curbing human trafficking issues in the country as “many Filipinos continue to fall prey to illegal recruiters.’’

Recently, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT) announced it will soon establish help desks in local municipalities and barangays to address concerns on human trafficking.

“Totoo po na maraming nabi-biktima ng human trafficking, fake employments, at kung anu-ano pang scam na may kinalaman sa illegal recruitment. Sobrang kawawa ang mga kababayan natin na naloloko, limas ang savings, lubog sa utang, para lang sana maka-trabaho abroad, pero kalokohan lang pala ang lahat (It is true that many fall prey to human trafficking, fake employments and many other illegal recruitment scams. The condition of our countrymen are pitiful, their savings are washed out, they are high in debt, just to seek overseas employment, but these are all nonsense),’’ Cua said.

However, Cua cautioned that expectations should also be tempered considering the large number of local governments in the country.

He said there are almost 1,500 towns and over 42,000 barangays in the country and that it is more realistic for the concerned authorities to first identify the “pilot areas.’’

Cua pointed out that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) can pinpoint the localities and the barangays with the most number of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) or those intending to work abroad.

He also urged the government to adopt the strategies employed by the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in reaching out to far-flung communities for services such as vaccination and social aid, as well as in data collection and education campaigns.

Cua also highlighted the need to implement a digital component for the said help desks that applicants for overseas employment could easily access without the need to travel.

The ULAP chief added that these projects should be in tandem with active deterrence efforts from the government, particularly in pursuing human traffickers/illegal recruiters who operate at community level.