The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) clarified that its revised departure guidelines for international-bound Filipino travelers aim to bolster anti-human trafficking measures, not to impede privacy or travel. The guidelines are intended to ensure hassle-free processing of travel documents by asking outbound travelers, particularly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), to have required documents ready.
In a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, Department of Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, representing IACAT, stressed that the guidelines are not an obstacle to the right to travel.
“Well, this is really not a hindrance to the right to travel. Ito po ay isang polisiya ng ating gobyerno na i-eradicate or tigilan na talaga itong malawak at malalim na problema ng human trafficking,” Clavano said.
“In fact, doon po sa ating statistics, almost 99 percent of the time ay wala naman po talagang problema. This is only for those vulnerable sectors at iyon po iyong ginawa ng 2023 guidelines – tiningnan ho natin lahat ng categories ng travelers, iyong mga na-identify ho natin na vulnerable sa human trafficking iyon po iyong medyo mas maraming additional documents kung sakaling magduda iyong Immigration officer,” he added.
Clavano also highlighted that the 2023 guidelines mirror the 2015 policy, underscoring that IACAT is not imposing extra documentary prerequisites. On the other hand, immigration officers are vigilant for trafficking indicators or potential victims.
“Hindi po totoo na additional requirement dahil hindi naman ho iyan required. ‘Pag mayroon lang red flags, ‘pag mayroon lang nakitang inconsistency sa kuwento or hindi na-meet iyong standard po ng ating mga Immigration Officers, doon lang sila magtatanong,” Clavano explained.
“Ang ginawa lang ho ay in-identify lang ho natin ang iba’t ibang mga categories ng mga travelers, dinagdagan po natin iyon,” he added.
Moreover, Clavano noted that the process has not changed in the 2023 revision, specifically concerning essential travel documents like valid passports, visas, roundtrip tickets, and boarding passes.
He expressed hope that the updated guidelines would discourage syndicates and scammers exploiting Filipinos, especially since the US State Department ranked the Philippines Tier 1 in combating human trafficking, acknowledging the effectiveness of government measures.
From January 1 to May 15 of this year, there were 39,061 referrals for secondary inspection, with 25,297 permitted to depart and 13,764 deferred.
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