Quezon City has been chosen to host the celebration of the World Day Against Trafficking, an international event that seeks to strengthen advocacies for the protection of the victims of human trafficking, especially women and children.
The gathering, to be held at the Quezon Memorial Circle on July 29, will be highlighted by a solidarity walk with an expected 5,000 participants. Assembly time has been set at 5:30 a.m.
Resolution 68/192, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, declares July 30 as World Day Against Trafficking.
QC Mayor Herbert Bautista, together with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, will lead the celebration in Quezon City.
The QC government, in partnership with the Department of Justice – Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT) and Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc., have been coordinating efforts to ensure the success of the July 29 activity.
QC’s Anti-Trafficking in Person Council (QC-ATIP) and Gender and Development Resource and Coordinating Office (GADRCO) had been tasked by Mayor Bautista to oversee the city’s preparations for the event.
Earlier, Mayor Bautista reiterated his administration’s continuing commitment to fight violence against women and children by calling for a sustained and intensified implementation of relevant laws for the protection of rights of all the victims of gender-based violence and abuse in the city.
Meanwhile, Councilor Lena Marie Juico, who sits as QC-ATIP chairperson, has enjoined the participation of QC residents, barangays, students, law enforcement agencies, people’s organizations and non-government organizations to the event as Councilor Juico asserted that the fight to combat human trafficking is everyone’s responsibility.
In the Philippines, human trafficking comes in different forms – sex trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, forced begging and domestic service. (Precy)
Posted By: Lynne Pingoy
