{"id":5286,"date":"2022-09-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.childrescue.org.nz\/?p=5286"},"modified":"2023-09-22T13:49:55","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T01:49:55","slug":"what-makes-a-rescue-agent-in-the-philippines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.childrescue.org.nz\/blog\/what-makes-a-rescue-agent-in-the-philippines\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes a rescue agent in the Philippines?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sitting in a lively caf\u00e9, Bruce, Destiny Rescue\u2019s country manager in the Philippines, passionately described the key attributes his team of rescue agents possess. Ben\u2019s commitment to excellence and integrity requires agents to have an impressive resume paired with exceptional character.<\/h5>\n

Being a rescue agent in the Philippines<\/a> requires a vast array of skills. All agents undergo a rigorous application and training process to ensure they can fulfil the role\u2019s demands.<\/p>\n

Although they all met the challenging requirements, the rescue agents are diverse and bring various strengths and weaknesses to the team. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be good at everything,\u201d Bruce said. Working together, agents are stronger and ultimately more effective in rescuing children.<\/p>\n

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“A LOT OF<\/span>
\nEMPATHY”<\/span><\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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The heart<\/b>
\n<\/b>As the conversation continued, Bruce placed high value on the heart of his agents. First and foremost, he said an agent is \u201csomeone who has a lot of empathy for the victims.\u201d Agents need to understand how and why children get caught up in sexual exploitation.<\/p>\n

Agents go undercover in bars and on the streets to assist law enforcement by gathering evidence and case building. In these places, girls might call out to passersby, act flirty and even escalate situations physically. Empathy allows agents to see the whole person, not just the mask presented to customers. Viewing girls\u2019 exploitation situations like a doctor views their patients helps agents maintain a professional mindset throughout rescue operations. \u201cYou remind yourself where you are, why you’re there, why they’re there [and] what your goal is,\u201d Bruce said.<\/p>\n

As he went on to discuss integrity and Christian values, he explained these characteristics must be paired with strong undercover skills. \u201cObviously, you can\u2019t go into these situations looking and acting like a pastor or a youth leader,\u201d added Bruce. \u201cYou really have to do a lot of acting.\u201d<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Agents are encouraged and held accountable through their teammates, significant others and continuously rolling footage of their operations. \u201cWe\u2019ve always got hidden cameras. We\u2019ve got eyes on us all the time,\u201d Bruce shared.<\/p>\n

The past<\/b>
\nWhen asked about the screening process for agents, Bruce answered, \u201cThere are a lot of scrutinies that are involved.\u201d In addition to due diligence such as government background checks and personal references, our teams research each potential agent\u2019s past to verify their character and honesty.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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It can even be as deep as speaking to their neighbours and going way back and finding their high school classmates\u2026 it can get pretty intense,\u201d Bruce shared.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

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The body<\/b>
\n<\/b>All agents in the Philippines receive training in self-defence and social awareness techniques. They are prepared to protect themselves and de-escalate situations as necessary. \u201cWe don’t encourage any of our operatives to engage in any altercation or fighting. If anything, you back away,\u201d Bruce said.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Besides the basic training, there is no physical requirement. In fact, a militant stance and vocabulary could hinder an operation and make pimps or rescue targets suspicious the agent is a cop. \u201cThe whole point of us being out there in the streets, and in the bars, in the establishments, really, is to be a shadow, not to be out there in the limelight to attract attention,\u201d Bruce emphasised.<\/p>\n

The psyche<\/b>
\nFor rescue agents, most of the heavy lifting happens in the mind. They must be in-tune with their undercover personas to ensure they don\u2019t raise the suspicions of pimps and trigger an unpredictable line of questioning. Bruce runs role-playing workshops for his team to learn and practice natural responses to prevent agents from “umming and erring and freezing” when operating undercover.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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International agents must recalibrate their thinking and adjust to local laws and culture. \u201cThe Philippines has its own system and its own laws that we need to follow and its own culture that we need to, as agents, understand first to be effective,\u201d Bruce said. He noted that the team goes through annual refresher training on these topics.<\/p>\n

This was a struggle for Bruce in his early days as an agent. \u201cI spent a lot of time being frustrated at how things worked or didn\u2019t work here,\u201d he said. While his intentions were noble, he faced constant discouragement before he adjusted and \u201cthings became a lot smoother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working this way is effective, resulting in strong relationships with multiple law enforcement agencies and, in turn, more rescues.<\/p>\n

The agent<\/b>
\n<\/b>Being a rescue agent requires dedication. \u201cIt\u2019s more than just a contract for a year or two. It\u2019s more than just a nine to five job,\u201d Bruce stated. Agents must have honourable character and the ability to learn and work as a team.<\/p>\n

With this solid foundation, agents in the Philippines are stepping into the darkness of sex trafficking and bringing children into the light.<\/p>\n

Names have been changed to protect identities<\/i><\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n