Tuguegarao City, Philippines – The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) Region 02 and the Regional Anti-Child Online Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force (RACETTF) II have successfully concluded the first set of school orientations for the year. Held from January 13 to 15, 2025, the event gathered over 600 student-leaders and faculty members from six prominent universities in the region.
Students and faculty from Cagayan State University (CSU) – Carig and Andrews Campuses, F.L. Vargas College, University of Cagayan Valley (UCV), University of St. Louis (USL), and St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP) participated in the activity, designed to deepen their understanding of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC).
During the event, the participants took their oath as new members of the Student Warriors Against Trafficking and OSAEC (SWAT-OSAEC), a youth-driven initiative aimed at combating human trafficking and protecting vulnerable children. The students also elected their officers to guide the movement within their respective universities.
The SWAT-OSAEC is a strategic initiative by the IACAT-Region 02 and RACETTF II to mobilize students to actively contribute to the fight against human trafficking. The objectives include raising awareness, identifying red flags for potential trafficking cases, providing support to youth victims, integrating TIP education into school programs, and encouraging public reporting of trafficking incidents.
This initiative is part of the region’s broader educational and prevention efforts. The school orientations will continue throughout the year, extending to other areas in the region to further educate and empower communities on the pressing issue of human trafficking and child exploitation.
"Congratulations to the RACETTF 2 for spearheading such an innovative and timely initiative. The SWAT-OSAEC program is a critical step in empowering the youth to take an active role in fighting online sexual abuse or exploitation of children and preventing the proliferation of child sexual abuse or exploitation materials. Your efforts in engaging student-leaders to raise awareness and advocate for change will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our communities” – DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty.
The IACAT-Region 02 and RACETTF II's efforts are made possible through the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines and the Partnership for Development Assistance in the Philippines (PDAP), through the Strengthening Local Systems and Partnerships for More Effective and Sustainable Counter-Trafficking in Persons in the Philippines (Strength CTIP) program.