New facility for trafficking victims opens in Mandaue

NEW facility for human trafficking victims was inaugurated on Friday afternoon at the City Social Welfare Service (CSWS ) compound in barangay Centro, Mandaue City.

The facility, located on the third floor of the Women Center of the CSWS, consists of two small rooms that will be used for psycho-social session, bible study and livelihood training for human trafficking victims.

The facility is being renovated by the Mandaue Integration Support Network, a joint project of CSWS and the International Justice Mission (IJM) Cebu chapter.

The ceremony was witnessed by the 13 minors, who were rescued in a joint rescue operations in a bar in Iloilo in 2008 and even shared their lives after that raid.

One of them said she is now happily married with one child, while another victim said she now has a decent work, but she continues to visit the center for the integration program.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said in his speech their mission does not end in rescuing victims of human trafficking. “Our network in Mandaue has rescued women, mostly minors, from bar establishments in the city, but our intervention does not stop here as well also help integrate them into the community,” Cortes said.

Friday’s inauguration was also witnessed by IJM director Andrei Sawchengco and CSWS Chief Violeta Cavada, who said that the project is part of the performance governance system implemented by the city, in partnership with the Institute of Solidarity in Asia, whose adviser was the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robrado. /CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA