The Department of Justice’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DoJ-IACAT) concluded with a motorcade over the weekend a three-day information drive against human trafficking in Antipolo City.
More than 1,000 participants, including all barangay officials and representatives from the private sector, joined the motorcade, which started at 8:30 a.m. at the Ynares Center.
DoJ Assistant Secretary Michelle Lapus, who oversees the National Coordination Center against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM), emphasized the importance of bringing the information drive to the barangay level.
“This initiative is vital because it raises awareness about the abuses perpetrated against children and women by some individuals or groups,” Lapus said. “This is just the beginning of a nationwide effort to address the problem of human trafficking head-on.”
The DoJ-IACAT launched the “Barangay IACAT 2.0” information drive in Antipolo City on August 22 to empower and engage communities in the fight against human trafficking.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, IACAT chairperson, earlier stated, “The crusade to eradicate human trafficking starts with us, within the solitude of our own homes and communities.”
The DoJ said the event included video presentations, lectures, roundtable discussions, fellowship gatherings, and motorcades.
The summit aimed to use a community-based approach to combat trafficking-in-persons by educating local officials and citizens on how to prevent or respond to human trafficking situations within their communities.
The activity sought to empower communities to prioritize prevention over reactive measures against human traffickers, fostering a sense of collective responsibility among residents.