Except for the ATIKHA respondent, the respondents agree that the rescue operation helped end their suffering and attain justice. However, most respondents share similar sentiments on the lack of proper notice to their parents about being placed at the center. As a contextual background, CLB has catered to children whose parents may have been suspected in committing acts of trafficking, child pornography and other similar crimes. Due to this reason, the suspected parents are not immediately informed of the whereabouts of the children. On the other hand, the belated communication to parents do not apply if the parents are not suspected to commit such crimes. “Parents are usually informed late by the local social worker who should be the one to assess whether informing the parents is necessary especially in terms of their willingness to cooperate in filing cases. There are even instances when parents should not be informed because they are also being investigated, Quinamaque explains. Although two Cebu respondents admitted to having experienced sadness after being away from the family, the respondents agree that their experience at the shelters helped them recover. It has nurtured and protected them by giving them an avenue for values formation. They generally felt safe and experienced fun inside the shelter where they formed new friendships and participated in different activities such as skills training and educational events. One Cebu respondent also recounted having to learn that she was a trafficked survivor at the shelter. “Adunay mga disiplina sa shelter ug structured ang mga buluhaton sulod sa center. Nakahimamat sab ko og uban pang mga bata nga gipangluwas sa pagpangabuso (People are disciplined at the shelter and the tasks are also structured in the center. I was able to encounter other children who were rescued from abuse),” another Cebu respondent shared. Most respondents felt happy upon their return to their families as part of the reintegration process. Some respondents, however, expressed apprehensions and doubts about reintegrating with the community because of the shame they have felt after they were subjected to trafficking. Despite the advantages of being at the shelters, some respondents shared their bad experiences inside. One respondent remembered being locked inside one room with the other girls. They were allowed to only go out to take their meals. A great number of respondents experienced loneliness especially in times when their family members had failed to visit them. Before the eventual reintegration of trafficking survivors, CLB would request for a case conference with the local social welfare and development office (LSWDO) to discuss essential matters, including the conduct of monitoring of survivors after their release from the shelters, and referrals to the government or non-government organizations for further assistance such as education. Generally, the respondents expressed that their respective lives improved in the course of pursuing the cases against their perpetrators. Several opportunities also came in their lives to feel empowered such as livelihood and education. They have manifested a more positive outlook in their lives. 48