GENERAL SANTOS CITY–The provincial government of South Cotabato has reactivated its special council against human trafficking and violence against women and children after four years of being inactive.
Haide Agustin, acting head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), said Friday they reconvened the members of the council to address various concerns affecting women and children in the province.
The Provincial Inter-Agency Council on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children (PIACAT-VAWC) is a multi-agency committee “mandated to institute policies related to women and children protection laws, and establish systems of surveillance, investigation, and rescue for victims of trafficking and VAWC in the province.”
South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes issued an executive order in March last year that expanded its membership to 27, coming from the provincial government, national government agencies, and non-government organizations.
Agustin said the provincial government last convened the PIACAT-VAWC, which was created with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 12 (Soccsksargen), four years ago.
She said they decided to reactivate the body due to the increasing number of VAWC cases in the province.
Through the council, she said, they are pushing for the implementation of various support programs and other interventions to help address the problems.
Agustin said these include the local government’s partnership with the Salvation Army, a faith-based charity organization that helps victims of human trafficking, as well as VAWC survivors, through recovery and emergency-based support programs. It also provides livelihood initiatives and links survivors to family hosts, she said.
Agustin said they are currently working on crafting the council’s three-year action plan, which will cover four key areas — prevention and advocacy; protection, recovery and reintegration; prosecution and law enforcement; and partnership and networking.
She said the council will monitor and reactivate the councils within the province’s 10 towns and lone city in coordination with DSWD-12.
South Cotabato is one of two provinces in Soccsksargen that have established a PIACAT-VAWC but majority of the area’s 50 cities and municipalities have activated their own councils.
Soccsksargen consists of the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan, and Cotabato.
In South Cotabato, only the municipality of Lake Sebu has no existing IACAT-VAWC, according to DSWD-12. (Frances Kristine Alvero/PNA)
