02 July 2015, Engr. Fidel Escurel, Head of the Middle East Network of Filipino Diaspora, awarded the PhP 40,000.00 worth educational assistance to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) through Ms. Marie Del Rosario – Apattad (Director of the Project Management Division), Ms. Kristine Domagas (Emigrant Services Officer II), and Ms. Jade Rodriguez (Adopt-a-Scholar Project Officer). The said amount will cover one year’s tuition cost for the scholarship grant of a human trafficking survivor in Cebu.

The International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines – a non-government organization combatting trafficking across the Philippine nation – reported that in 2004-2013, there were 524 trafficking victims rescued in Metro Cebu area (Campo, 2013). Poverty accounts as one of the reasons victims were lured into various trafficking acts.

Apart from CFO’s lead role in the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking – Advocacy and Communications Committee (IACAT – ADVOCOM), it also has the Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) Program. The program serves as a venue where Overseas Filipinos could support development projects for the unprivileged Filipinos. One of its components is the Adopt-a-Scholar Project, an initiative designed to provide educational assistance to indigent yet scholastically qualified students. In this light, IJM Cebu referred to CFO human trafficking survivors who wanted to pursue their studies. Upon assessment of their applications, one was granted scholarship for the A.Y. 2015-2016. Through the interconnectedness of its programs, CFO showed that it could also extend support in the recovery phase of the human trafficking survivors.

Source:

(L-R) Ms. Jade Rodriguez, Mr. Fidel Escurel, Dir. Marie Del Rosario – Apattad, and Ms. Kristine Domagas

(Campo, 2013). Human trafficking: Booming tourism attracts sex tourism. (The Freeman) Retrieved from: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/09/02/1162651/human-trafficking-booming-tourism-attracts-sex-tourism07/03/15