A press conference was held last
July 18, 2017 of Buhay OFW with host and founder, Marissa del Mar, makes its 7th
year on television meaningful by an oath taking of the Anti-Trafficking OFW Movement (ATOM) on
October 23, 2017; Monday, at Diamond Hotel, Manila.
Proving to be more than another
public service TV show, Buhay OFW TV which airs every Saturday at 9:30 pm on
Aksyon TV and Aksyon International) takes a bold step by responding to the
widely misunderstood, but ever so prevalent case of human-trafficking in
Filipinos worldwide. The goal to end modern slavery in the lives of our modern heroes
starts with a reminder that no Filipino is for sale.
Not a Time for Complacency
In 2016, the Philippine Government
achieved a Tier 1 ranking – the highest compliance level with regards to the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). Several traffickers and a couple of
officials complicit in this crime had already been either charged or convicted,
and social media outcry for the victims of trafficking had never been so
rampant.
Even with this milestone,
however, the Philippines
remains a hotspot for illegal trade. Many are the means against and
vulnerabilities of a labor-sending country, and the very outlets through which
awareness is spread become tools for deception. Organizations like ATOM ensure
that, more than complying to national and international laws, Filipinos educate
and protect their own.
Anyone Can Be a Victim
The prevalence of social media
and the widespread use of online communication bring trafficking closer to
every home and put it under less suspicious light. Seemingly credible offers to
work abroad plague inboxes and job-hunting sites. Entertainment sources lead
people of various socioeconomic classes to focus on only one facet of
trafficking, often rendering them blind to the red flags scattered along their
path when pursuing careers abroad.
Modern slavery, contrary to popular belief, is not
always run by gangsters and operated illegally. The existence of legal permits
and travel documents do not spare anyone from being trafficked. Belonging to
the middle class or being of a certain age and gender does not spare anyone
from the danger of forced labor, prostitution, and abuse.
Change Starts Small
True change begins with a proper
grasp of the reality that haunts OFWs and threatens those dreaming to venture
abroad. Its burden rests in every Filipino household, and its success dependent
on the public’s willingness to learn how they can protect their rights.
Prevention and help can ripple
from one social circle to another, beginning with an understanding that where one
is at any given moment can be an opportunity to spot and report illegal
recruitment, suspicious activities, and possible victims.
Frequently visited countries in
Asia like Hong Kong , Japan ,
Singapore , and Malaysia are
home to OFWs both free and under servitude. Encounters with them are not often
characterized by pleas for help and stories of their tragedies. Without knowing
these basic facts, however, opportunities to help are lost in a stream of wrong
expectations and a limited perspective of what human trafficking looks like.
This results in prolonged suffering and, worse, even lost lives.
ATOM does not set itself apart as
a movement more efficient or important than its contemporaries. Rather it aims
to serve as a reminder and a means through which people can get involved in the
protection of our OFW and in the fight to reclaim every Filipino’s freedom. Through
Buhay OFW Foundation, San Miguel Corporation, Volunteers Against Crime and
Corruption (VACC), National Real Estate Association (NREA), Sterling Group of
Companies, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Philippine Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Chinese Charitable Association
(PCCA), Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PCCCII),
Zonta Club of Makati Central Business District, together also with our media
partners Aksyon TV, ANC, Light Network Channel, Malaya Business Insight, this goal can be met not only with hope, but
with great expectations for change that lasts.
For more information and
partnership, please contact Veronica Ramos at 0927-8484533 or Mari De Los
Santos at 834-9673 of Buhay OFW TV
Sources:
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