Bold Faith in Action

In celebration of PIMAHT’s World Day Against Trafficking in Person, Philippine Children’s Ministries Network organized an Interfaith Forum on Monday, July 31, 2023 at the Grand Menseng Hotel; with the theme, “Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind.”

The primary objective of this said forum was to raise awareness and foster collaborative efforts in combating human trafficking. Key note speaker, Bishop Noel Pantoja, National Director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches and Chairperson of the Philippine Interfaith Movement Against Human Trafficking in Person said, “there is blessing in unity.” Indeed, when all of the faith-based groups will unite against the proactive drive against this social concern, there will be much lesser victims of abuse.

Bishop Noel emphasized that this group has the most powerful weapon and that is PRAYER. All Sixty-five delegates from the three (3) largest church councils of the country CBCP, NCCP and PCEC, and representatives from the Muslims and indigeneous communities from Davao and IGACOS agreed without a doubt.

Provisions of RA 11930 Anti OSAEC Law and RA 11862 Expanded ATIP of 2022 were presented by the Assistant Regional Prosecutor of Region XI, Atty. Gladys Joy “Jaja” Almazan-De Leon where she where she went the extra mile to provide more concrete situations for the group to really understand what is happening.

After the forum, participants were grouped to present their action items or on-going projects. Also, everyone joined the pledge to combat and support the cause. PCMN National Director, Ma. Fe Foronda, also addressed the archdiocese through the leadership of Most Rev. Romulo Valles, to provide support to an upcoming collaborative action.

In the archdiocese, Human Trafficking in Person and Online will be under the care of the Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People with Rev. Fr. Deter Veloso as its director. The commission is currently mapping out its linkages for proactive and reactive plans.