The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office IX negates that there are cases of prostitution among minor IDPs in one of the transitory sites.

Mampang 1 Transitory Site Camp Manager Juila Jailani clarified that there’s no such case among minor IDPs in the said recovery shelter.

“Yung case ng prostitution nung 2014 pa yan. Wala na yan ngayon. Hindi din namin alam bakit nabuksan pa yung balitang yan.” Jailani stated.

The camp manager also added that the 2014 case had not even involved minor IDPs, and the reported sex workers came from the outside community.

DSWD through its Disaster Management Focal Rosalie Casinillo also refuted that the minor IDPs needed to earn something for their schooling that is why they resorted to postitution.

Casinillo said that the DSWD had provided educational assistance to high school and college students inside the transitory shelter.

“We have provided the high school students with 1,500 and P2,000 for college students to aid them in their school materials and other academic requirements since 2014.” Casinillo said.

As of the date, the department has disbursed a total of 8,199,830.00 benefitted by 4,822 student IDPs in Zamboanga City.###