Davao City (DSWD XI) -Students and amateur songwriters and music video makers of Davao Region, 15 years and up have until October 13 to submit their entries in the Anti-Human Trafficking Songwriting and Music Video Making Competition.

Organized by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the contest calls on all students (in-school or out-of-school) and amateur song and video makers to participate and take an active part in advocating and preventing human trafficking.

Forms of trafficking in persons (TIP) include illegal recruitment, sexual exploitation, forced labor or involuntary servitude, removal or sale of organs, armed activities of children, cybersex and sex tours.

According to Alma D. Acera of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Regional Secretariat of DSWD-Led Inter-Agency Council, the song and video must follow the minimum length of three minutes and maximum of four minutes running time.

Acera said entries must revolve around human trafficking issues as defined by Republic Act 9208, as amended by R.A. 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

These important elements must be included -statistical information, dangers of human trafficking, how to report, how to prevent and eradicate, and how to be safe against human trafficking, Acera said.

Also, the IACAT XI hotline number and IACAT XI logo must be highlighted as reporting mechanism, Acera added.

More contest rules

Dialect may be in English, Tagalog or Cebuano or a combination of Cebuano and Tagalog, or combination of Tagalog, Cebuano and English but with English subtitles.

All parts of the song and video must be original, with nothing that is obtained from any ads, movies, soaps, video-sharing sites etc., and inserted as part of the song and video. It must be submitted in High Definition (HD) (720P and up) .mp4 playable format.

The song must not contain any expletives (swear word, obscenity, profanity) or any badmouthing of any institution, group or individual. While the video must not contain anything that promotes violence, obscenity or rebellion.

Professional editing by a third party is not allowed.

Interested parties may submit entries to Ms. Alma D. Acera at DSWD Regional Office, R. Magsaysay Ave., Davao City. For contest details, parties may call 09172014111 or email: rs.fo11@iacacp.gov.ph.

Entries must bear the following details: Entry Name and Title, Composer and Video Maker, Age, Address and Contact Details.

All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation and all entries shall automatically become the property of IACAT XI Network.

IACAT XI Network agencies heads and focal persons and their relatives by affinity or consanguinity up to the fourth (4th) degree are not qualified to join.

IACAT is the regional body that works actively on cases of trafficking, with member agencies such as DSWD, DOJ, DILG, DepEd, CHED, DOH, DFA, NCIP, DOLE, POEA, PIA, OWWA, PPA, CAAP, PNP, NBI, BID, CHR, Tambayan Center, Child Alert, Center for Overseas Workers, Local Government Units, among others. (DSWD)