Barangay captains are front liners vs trafficking — Labor exec

Explaining that human trafficking begins at the grassroots, a Labor official has urged barangay captains to intensify their campaign against the global problem, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said in a statement Monday. Manuel Roldan, director of DOLE Regional Office 6, described barangay captains as “front liners" who coordinate with recruiters and potential recruits. “Equipping them with the right knowledge and heightened awareness, they can already identify unscrupulous individuals who may be engaged in illegal and predatory activities including fixers, scammers, and traffickers," Roldan said. Meanwhile, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said a campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking will bear more fruit if brought to the grass roots. “There is an urgent need to forge collaborative efforts with our local partners towards an extensive nationwide fight against illegal recruitment and human trafficking to heighten the protection and welfare of our workers," Baldoz said. Baldoz made the statement following anti-illegal recruitment orientations in Panay in Negros Occidental and in Iloilo, attended by the Bureau of Local Employment and the Philippine Overseas Employment Association in partnership with the Department of Justice. Coming from provinces across Western Visayas, over a hundred barangay captains from the Association of Barangay Captains joined the orientation series. — PE/VS, GMA News