2 trafficked girls reunited with family in Maguindanao del Sur

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines  — The Ministry of Social Services and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MSSD-BARMM) today said it had facilitated the reunion of two girls with their families in Maguindanao del Sur after being rescued from the clutches of trafficking operators.

According to Jan Michella Agata, focal person of the MSSD Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP), the 17-year old minors, who were recruited for supposed employment abroad as household service workers, were rescued and later accommodated at the Tahanan ng Inyong Pag-Asa (TIP) Center in Mandaluyong City. They were offloaded from a flight while attempting to leave the country.

READ: Over 13,000 Filipinos among 125,000 trafficking victims worldwide – IOM

After the turnover, the MSSD along with concerned agencies in Metro Manila initiated the reintegration process for the two girls.  

A case conference was also conducted at the TIP Center with representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development–National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR), the Department of Justice–Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT), and TIP Center to ensure proper case management and protection services for the victims.

As they return home to Maguindanao del Sur, the minors from the towns of Talayan and Shariff Saydona Mustapha were received by MSSD social workers and eventually reunited with their parents or guardians in the presence of local government officials.

Agata said the recruitment of minors highlights the continuing risks faced by young individuals seeking employment opportunities abroad.

Agata emphasized that the recruitment of minors for overseas domestic work clearly violates existing laws protecting Filipinos from trafficking.

“Under Republic Act 11862, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, applicants for household service work abroad must be at least 24 years old. Therefore, recruiting minors for such employment is a clear violation of the law,” Agata explained.

“Our priority is to ensure the safe reintegration of victim-survivors into their families and communities. Through RRPTP, we facilitate aftercare services and coordinate closely with partner agencies to ensure that survivors receive the necessary support as they rebuild their lives,” Agata said.

Agata said the MSSD intervention did not end with the victims’ safe return with their families. 

As part of the reintegration process, MSSD will assist the families of the survivors, including livelihood support, educational assistance, and other necessary interventions such as legal assistance based on the assessed needs of the households.

The ministry will also continue to collaborate with concerned agencies in strengthening case build-up and filing charges against those responsible for the illegal recruitment and trafficking attempt.

MSSD, through the RRPTP, vowed to continue providing comprehensive services to trafficked persons in the Bangsamoro region, including psycho-social support, reintegration assistance, and continuous monitoring of survivors and their families. /cb