Provincial Board requires recruiters to register

Cebu - The Provincial Board has approved an ordinance establishing the mandatory registration of all forms of recruitment and placement activities done within the barangay level.

Board member Agnes Magpale, chairwoman of the committee on women, family and minors, and also author of the ordinance, said there is a need to closely monitor all and every recruitment and placement activities conducted within the barangay level because the crime of trafficking in persons is usually disguised as recruitment and placement services.

“Despite massive and persistent campaigns to curb and prevent this condemnable and malevolent practices, the same is still prevalent in the country in general and in the Province of Cebu in particular,” Magpale said.

According to the End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, Cebu is the top transit and destination point of women and child trafficking in the country.

The ordinance, which was approved last Monday session, was co-authored by PB members Victor Maambong and Peter John Calderon.

Under the approved ordinance, it will be mandatory for all persons, intending to conduct recruitment and placement activities in a barangay, within the jurisdiction of the Province of Cebu, to register such intent with the barangay captain of the said barangay.

The act of registering said intent shall be considered as an application for a barangay permit to conduct recruitment and placement activities within the barangay.

No such recruitment and placement activity can be conducted without a barangay permit issued by the barangay captain.

Section 4 of the ordinance on registration process, provides that the barangay captain shall use the special registration book to record the intent of a person or a recruitment entity and shall include the registered name of the recruitment entity and its principal address, the kind of authority to engage in recruitment and placement activities, issued to it by the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Agency or any other competent government agency, the names, personal circumstances and addresses of the representatives who will conduct the actual recruitment and placement activities in the barangay.

But in cases where the authority, license or permit presented by the recruitment entity or its representative is doubtful the barangay captain shall refrain from issuing any barangay permit until the authenticity has been established.

Violation of the ordinance will earn an imprisonment of not more than six months or a fine of not more than P5,000 or both at the discretion of the court.

Under the ordinance, the provincial government will include in the ensuing budget of the Province of Cebu an appropriation of P500,000 for the initial implementation of this ordinance.— Garry B. Lao/BRP (THE FREEMAN)