The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) emphasized on Thursday (February 13) that the issuance of a travel clearance for minors travelling abroad (MTA) is part of the national government’s campaign against child trafficking.

“Talagang this is an anti-trafficking measure and this is in cooperation with the Bureau of Immigration,” Social Welfare Officer (SWO) IV Cheryl Mainar of the agency’s Program Management Bureau (PMB) told reporters during the Thursday Media Forum held at the DSWD Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City.

To streamline the process of application, the DSWD under the leadership of Secretary Rex Gatchalian is set to launch the MTA System wherein individuals can apply for a travel clearance online.

A travel clearance is a requirement for minors or individuals below 18 years old travelling outside the Philippines who are not accompanied by any of the parents or persons having parental responsibility or legal custody over the child.

According to SWO IV Mainar, the agency is in the process of incorporating a system whereby the DSWD can track whether minors with issued travel clearance have returned to the Philippines on the scheduled date of arrival.

“Nasa phase two po ng system yung pag-track sa bata na inisyuhan natin ng clearance na ma-ensure na nakabalik sya doon sa schedule na nilagay nila kung kailan sila babalik,” SWO IV Mainar of the PMB told members of the media.

Republic Act (RA) 7610 otherwise known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act mandates the DSWD to issue travel clearance or Certificate of Travel to unaccompanied minors travelling abroad, as a measure to protect children and prevent child trafficking.

The MTA System will be launched on February 18, along with the other digitalization efforts of the DSWD as anchored on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s socio-economic agenda on the digitalization of government processes and operations. (YADP)