A PRODUCTIVE coordination meeting was held between the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regarding the Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-asa (PP2) Program.
The meeting was prompted by an increasing number of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) coming to central Davao City to solicit Christmas gifts. On December 11, 2024, at the Camp Domingo E. Leonor Headquarters, the WCPD-DCPO and DSWD discussed the program's implementation.
Social worker Gilda Dela Gente Salvaña, Division Chief of the Davao City Youth Development Division (DCYDD), shared insights on the situation of IPs and the Badjao community in Davao City. WCPD Chief Police Major Gillian Rose Birondo outlined ongoing rescue operations for the IPs.
According to DCPO spokesperson Police Capt. Hazel Tuazon, following the meeting, simultaneous rescue operations were immediately conducted by 19 police stations and other special units of the DCPO in coordination with the DSWD and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
Following the meeting, 19 police stations and other special units, in coordination with DSWD and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), launched simultaneous rescue operations. Police Capt. Hazel Tuazon reported that IPs, some from remote areas of the Davao Region, were gathered at Balite Drive to be taken back to their home municipalities.
By 1:50 p.m. on Friday, DCPO records showed that 287 adults and 118 minors, totaling 405 individuals, were rescued. Some have already been sent home after profiling, including members of the Badjao tribe.
Earlier, Police Station 15 in Ecoland rescued 250 individuals, including 70 IP families, who were brought to Balite Gym in Barangay 76-A, Bucana, Talomo District. Other stations, including Police Station 3 in Talomo, San Pedro, and Tugbok Police Station, also rescued dozens of IPs and minors, urging them not to wander for their safety.
Many rescued IPs had come to Davao City to solicit Christmas gifts. JPC
