Intl group sets up youth migrant center in southern PHL

To save youths from human traffickers and illegal recruiters, an international group set up a youth migrant center with the help of the local government in Agusan del Sur in southern Philippines. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the local government launched the One-Stop Resource Center (OSRC), a youth employment and migrant center last Friday in Agusan del Sur. According to IOM National Officer Ricardo Casco, OSRCs will also be launched later in Antique, Masbate, and Maguindanao. The OSRC program aims to provide the following services to the residents, especially the youth:

• advice on safe and legal migration;
• local opportunities for migrant reintegration;
• trainings on savings, investment and entrepreneurship;
• financial literacy trainings;
• case management services;
• psychosocial counseling;
• paralegal services, 
• anti-illegal recruitment, and
• anti-trafficking programs.

The program aims to help the Philippine government achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of  by implementing youth employment and migration programs and providing "increased access to decent work for poor, young women and men." The OSRC is part of the Joint Programme on Youth Employment and Migration (JP-YEM), developed by UN Country Team agencies such as:

• IOM
• International Labour Organization  (ILO),
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Education subsidy Part of the JP-YEM is an Education Subsidy program, which was developed by IOM and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). This program helps student dropouts go back to school by providing them financial help. According to IOM,  "The education subsidy was extended to disadvantage youth and migrants' children to defray for the cost of their school meals, transportation, supplies and project expenses." The program grants P1,000 to each beneficiary every month. Casco said 748 students from 15 public high schools in Masbate, Antique, Maguindnao, and Agusan del Sur will be graduating from high school this year with the help of the education subsidy provided to them. "A small number of these graduates among these beneficiaries are expected to be in the honor roll," according to the IOM. - VVP, GMA News