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MESSAGE UNDERSECRETARY MARY GRACE AMPIL-TIRONA COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS

DINNER-FORUM AMONG BUSINESS LEADERS MAKATI SHANGRI-LA HOTEL JUNE 14, 2012

THE PH ANTI-TRAFFICKING CAMPAIGN HOW TO FORGE A PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT WORKS AND LASTS?

Honored Guests, Friends and Co-Workers in the Philippine Anti-Trafficking Campaign: ALLOW ME TO START BY SHARING AN UNRESOLVED DILEMMA: THE UMBRELLA GIRL VS. THE BAR GIRL? AS I WAS GATHERING MY THOUGHTS FOR THIS EVENINGS MESSAGE, I RECALLED THE DAY WHEN I WAS AGHAST TO LEARN THAT YOUNG WOMEN ARE BEING EMPLOYED AS CADDIES OR UMBRELLA GIRLS -- NAIVELY THINKING ALL ALONG -- THAT A GOLF COURSE WAS A NO WOMANS LAND SAVE FOR THE OCCASIONAL LADY GOLFER. IT WAS MY AVID GOLFER-OF-A-HUSBAND WHO POSED THE QUESTION TO ME: SO, WOULD YOU RATHER THAT THESE YOUNGSTERS WIND UP AS BAR GIRLS? THAT WAS TWO DECADES AGO, WHEN, AS A COMMISSIONER FOR WOMEN UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF FORMER PRESIDENT FIDEL V. RAMOS, I WAS A STAUNCH ADVOCATE OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND HELPED THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE SET UP WOMEN & CHILDRENS DESKS NATIONWIDE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. AND SO, TODAY, COMING FACE TO FACE WITH AN OLD TRADE WITH NEW TRICKS THE DILEMMA BEGS RESOLUTION. HAVING BEEN GIVEN ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN GOVERNMENT AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS, ONE IS AGAIN CONFRONTED WITH THE SAME STARK REALITIES WHICH HAVE GROWN MORE GRIPPING: THE FEMINIZATION OF POVERTY AND THE RESULTING FEMINIZATION OF MIGRATION. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT OUR DATA AT THE COMMISSION DO NOT REFLECT LIKEWISE THE TRAFFICKING AND VICTIMIZATION OF MEN AND CHILDREN. FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE MAINTAINED A BALANCED VIEW OF MIGRATION. WE HAVE DELIBERATELY TAILORFITTED OUR SERVICES, PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THE GOOD NEWS AS WELL AS THE BAD NEWS ABOUT THE MIGRATION PHENOMENON THAT HAS CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF PHILIPPINE SOCIETY, GIVEN OUR ESTIMATED 9.5 MILLION OVERSEAS FILIPINOS REPRESENTING 10% OF OUR CURRENT POPULATION. MIGRATION MANAGEMENTS SEAMY SIDE THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT, AND ITS FLIP SIDE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING -- IS INDEED A DAUNTING RESPONSIBILITY IN AN ARCHIPELAGIC SETTING AND IN THE FACE OF A GLOBAL DEMAND FOR OUR SERVICES AT ALL LEVELS OF THE WORLD OF WORK: FROM HIGH TECH PROFESSIONALS DOWN TO NO-BRAINER, ALL-BODY OR MINDLESS ENGAGEMENTS.

HOW CAN WE USE NEW TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY VERSUS EQUALLY INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED BY THE PERPETRATORS OF THESE PROBLEMS?

THE TRICKS OF THE AGE-OLD TRADE, WHAT CNN HAS FAMOUSLY REFERRED TO AS MODERN-DAY SLAVERY HAVE NOW ASSUMED NEW FORMS AND FORMATS. CASE IN POINT IS THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE PRACTICE WHICH HAS GONE VIRAL, 24/7 AND MULTI-NATIONAL IN SCOPE. ONE HEARS LIKEWISE OF RELIGION OR MISSIONARY WORK BEING USED AS A RECRUITMENT VEHICLE FOR CHEAP LABOR IN THE GUISE OF A VOCATION. SYNDICATES HAVE GONE DIGITAL TOO, AND CLOSER TO HOME -- ENLISTING OPPORTUNISTIC FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS AND RELATIVES, INCLUDING FELLOW NATIONALS AND EVEN GOVERNMENT INSTRUMENTALITIES -- AS WILLING PARTNERS IN THE MATCHING GAME FOR HANDSOME FEES. INDEED, IT WILL TAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT, A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, A CONVERGENCE OF INITIATIVES, AND MASSIVE DOSES OF CREATIVITY TO COMBAT THE TREATS AND THREATS THAT OUR BORDERLESS WORLD HAS OCCASIONED. AS WE ALL KNOW FULLY WELL, OUR GOVERNMENT IS FIGHTING BATTLES ON ALL FRONTS. ANTI-ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT AND ANTI-TRAFFICKING ARE JUST TWO OF THE MANY PROBLEMS THAT HAVE TO BE SOLVED IN THE SHORTEST TIME POSSIBLE. AND, WHEN THE ENEMY IS WITHIN, AND IN OUR MIDST, IT MAY SEEM AS FUTILE AS ENGAGING OR TACKLING GHOSTS IN A BOXING RING. WHILE THERE ARE PALLIATIVES IN PLACE HOTLINES TO CALL SUCH AS THE COMMISSIONS 1343 ANTITRAFFICKING ACTION LINE, CRISIS CENTERS TO SHELTER, PSYCHO-SOCIAL COUNSELING SERVICES TO AVAIL OF, LIVELIHOOD TRAININGS TO JOIN, GOVERNMENT FRONTLINERS IN THE INTER-AGENCY COUNCIL AGAINST TRAFFICKING (IACAT) TO CONTACT, STRATEGICALLY PLACED STICKERS AND TV-RADIO PLUGS TO WARN, A LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN PLACE I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT THESE WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH. SO, WHY THE NEED TO STILL ENGAGE THE MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE BUSINESS AND SOCIO-CIVIC COMMUNITY? JOBS, JOBS, JOBS CAPACITY BUILDING, QUALITY ASSURANCE, MULTIPLIER EFFECTS ACROSS SECTORS AND ACROSS THE ARCHIPELAGO. THESE ARE THE DEMANDS IMPOSED ON THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WHO UNDERSTANDABLY GROAN, AND ALBEIT RELUCTANTLY, ADMIT TO DONOR FATIGUE AS WELL. BUT IF NOT YOU THEN WHO? AND IF NOT US THEN WHY? OUR COMMON FUTURE BEGS THE QUESTION. OUR CONSCIENCE CALLS FOR ALL HANDS ON DECK. AND THERE LIES A GLIMMER OF HOPE! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND HELPING IN OUR WORK. GOOD EVENING. /MGT-06.14.12