photo from: internet
Fishermen from the province of Bohol have been trafficked to southern regions under false promises of higher wages, anti-trafficking officials have said.
The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking-7 (IACAT-7) told provincial officials that fishers from the island communities of Talibon, Tubigon, Inabanga, and Getafe were taken to Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Palawan but never received promised compensation.
“The Boholanos were promised higher pay but they never received remuneration for their work,” said Celocia Francisca Lerio of the Department of Social Welfare and Development during a meeting at the provincial capitol.
The agency also reported cases of child exploitation involving parents, according to Justice Department regional director Graemae June Elmico, who led the IACAT-7 delegation.
Capitol officials are now conducting community awareness campaigns on violence against women and children, with prosecutor Adolfo Doroy visiting barangays to explain anti-trafficking laws. Educational materials written in the Bisaya language are being distributed to improve understanding.
Board Member Jamie Villamor, who authored an ordinance against online sexual abuse of children, cited the need for community awareness to help eliminate such abuses.
Meanwhile, the province of Bohol released 5,800 fish fingerlings into aquaculture ponds Wednesday as part of a new food security program, Governor Aris Aumentado announced.
The fingerlings—including red and black tilapia, carp, and catfish—were released at the Bohol Organic Agriculture Technology Center pond in Ubay town and are expected to yield 4,400 kilograms of fish within four months.
Provincial agriculturist Liza Quirog said the program addresses Bohol farmers’ difficulty in accessing quality seeds and seedlings, which forces them to compete with producers from Davao and Bukidnon.
The province plans to build a tropical fruit and plant nursery in Dimiao town next month to provide locally-produced, Bureau of Plant Industry-approved seedlings to farmers.
As part of the agricultural push, officials also conducted ceremonial planting of cassava and a jackfruit variety expected to bear fruit in five years.
Aumentado inspected fishing boats that will be distributed to fishermen as part of efforts to strengthen the agro-fishery sector. About 130 boats are scheduled for distribution this year.