A LAWMAKER here is considering expanding the scope of its proposed local migration policies to monitor internal migrants relocating to the city.
Councilor Rachel Zozobrado said this, following recommendations to address rural-to-urban population shifts alongside foreign migration.
The issue, along with other concerns, was tackled during the 2nd Mindanao Summit on Migration, Environment, Peace and Development on Tuesday, June 28.
The regional migration summit was organized by the Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, Inc. (MMCEAI), where local leaders and stakeholders reviewed pending local legislation aimed at migrant welfare.
Zozobrado, who chairs the council committee on migrant workers, stated the need for a strengthened local tracking framework to monitor internal migrants could be integrated into the city’s pending legislation.
“Internal migration, meaning those coming into Davao City and settling here, I think we can incorporate that in our OFW Barangay Help Desk,” Zozobrado said.
She noted that while existing platforms primarily target overseas workers, expanding the help desk functions to the local level can help barangays track new residents moving into their communities.
“If naa na ta ana nga OFW Help Desk, that can also be one of their functions per barangay, to monitor ang katong mga dayo nga nianhi diri sa ilang bawat barangay,” she added.
While internal migration tracking is being considered for inclusion, the pending local legislation targets to address the sharp increase in illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
The summit disclosed data showing that illegal recruitment cases in the region jumped from 60% in 2025 to 80% in the first half of 2026.
Zozobrado highlighted that community-level intervention is critical to catching illegal schemes before the workers are deployed overseas.
“Down to barangay level pa lang daan magbantay na ang opisyales, and information i-disseminate nato sya sa tanang lumulupyo sa barangay, para kabalo sila unsay makita ninyo sa Facebook, ayaw dayon mo pagtuo, atong ihan-ay ang proseso,” she said.
The barangay desks will not just serve as a receiving desk but will conduct information campaigns and seminars for pre-employment.
“Didto palang, isulti na nato unsa ang dapat ninyo na bantayan, dapat licensed ang recruitment agency, dapat inyo jud i-double-check with the DMW,” Zozobrado emphasized.
She expressed optimism that establishing local desk points and information drives will yield measurable results.
“Kung kana magiyahan nato sila, mubaba jud ang illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons. I’m very hopeful,” she said.
Zozobrado said the inputs gathered from the summit’s multi-sectoral workshops will be evaluated to refine the draft ordinances before submitting them for the plenary at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) XI is actively pushing for the implementation of the Registry of Barangay Inhabitants and Migrants (RBIM) to address internal migration challenges.
Within Davao Region, a saturation of the RBIM has been completed in the municipality of Kiblawan in Davao del Sur, with validation ongoing, and is also currently halfway through implementation in Asuncion, Davao del Norte, while training is scheduled to begin in Panabo City this August.
Currently, Davao City has not yet adopted the RBIM system due to its large geographic size and population, but CPD Region XI is preparing to pitch the tracking system directly to the local government of Davao City Population Division.
