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TheSituation
ThePhilippinesisasourceand,toamuchlesserextent,adestinationandtransitcountryformen,women,and
childrenwhoaresubjectedtosextraffickingandforcedlabor.
Source
TheILOestimatesthatonemillionFilipinomenandwomenmigrateabroadeachyearforworkopportunities,
andthat10millionFilipinoscurrentlyliveandworkabroad.1Asignificantnumberofthesemigrantsare
subjectedtoconditionsofforcedlaborinfactories,atconstructionsites,onfishingvessels,onagricultural
plantations,andasdomesticworkersinAsiaandincreasinglythroughouttheMiddleEast.Filipinowomenin
domesticservitudeabroadfacerapeandviolentphysicalandsexualabuse.SkilledFilipinomigrantworkers,
suchasengineersandnurses,havealsobeensubjectedtoconditionsofinvoluntaryservitude.Womenwere
traffickedintothecommercialsexindustryincountriessuchasMalaysia,Singapore,HongKong,SouthKorea,
andJapanandinvariousMiddleEasterncountries.2
InthePhilippines,traffickers,inpartnershipwithorganizedcrimesyndicatesandcomplicitlawenforcement
officers,regularlyoperatethroughfraudulentrecruitmentagenciesandpracticestotrafficmigrants.Traffickers
uselocalrecruiterssenttovillagesandurbanneighborhoodstorecruitfamilyandfriends,oftenmasquerading
asrepresentativesofgovernmentregisteredemploymentagencies.Thesefraudulentrecruitmentpracticesand
theinstitutionalizedpracticeofpayingrecruitmentfeesoftenleaveworkersvulnerabletoforcedlabor,debt
bondage,andcommercialsexualexploitation.Therewerereportsin2010thatillicitrecruitersincreasedtheir
useofstudent,intern,andexchangeprogramvisastocircumventthePhilippinesgovernmentandreceiving
countriesregulatoryframeworksforforeignworkers.3
Transit
Therearereportsthatorganizedcrimesyndicateshavebeenheavilyinvolvedinthecommercialsexindustry,
andthatinternationalsyndicatestransitedvictimsfrommainlandChinathroughthePhilippinestothirdcountry
destinations.4
Destination
ThePhilippinesisadestinationcountryforasmallnumberofwomenwhoaretraffickedfromthePeoples
RepublicofChina,SouthKorea,RussiaandEasternEuropeforcommercialsexualexploitation.5
InternalTrafficking
Internaltraffickingofmen,women,andchildrenalsoremainsasignificantprobleminthePhilippines.People
aretraffickedfromruralareastourbancentersincludingManila,Cebu,thecityofAngeles,andincreasinglyto
citiesinMindanao,aswellaswithinurbanareas.6
Menaresubjectedtoforcedlaboranddebtbondageintheagriculture,fishing,andmaritimeindustries.Women
andchildrenaretraffickedwithinthecountryforforcedlaborasdomesticworkersandsmallscalefactory
workers,forforcedbegging,andforexploitationinthecommercialsexindustry.Filipinomigrantworkers(both
domesticallyandabroad)whobecometraffickingvictimsareoftensubjecttoviolence,threats,inhumaneliving
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conditions,nonpaymentofsalaries,andwithholdingoftravelandidentitydocuments.7
Althoughprostitutionisillegal,hundredsofvictimsaresubjectedtoforcedprostitutioneachdayinwellknown
andhighlyvisiblebusinessestablishmentsthatcatertobothdomesticandforeigndemandforcommercialsex
acts.8ChildsextourisminparticularremainsaseriousprobleminthePhilippines,withsextouristscomingfrom
NortheastAsia,Australia,NewZealand,Europe,andNorthAmericatoengageinthecommercialsexual
exploitationofchildren.9
ChildlaborisacommonprobleminthePhilippines.Onegovernmentreportestimatesthatthereweremore
than2.2millionworkingchildrenages15to17inthecountryin2009.Themajorityofthesechildrenworkas
laborersandunskilledworkers,andareoftenexposedtohazardousworkingenvironmentsinindustriessuchas
mining,fishing,pyrotechnicproduction,domesticservice,garbagescavenging,andagriculture,especiallysugar
caneplantations.Asignificantnumberofchildrenarealsoemployedintheinformalsectoroftheurban
economyasdomesticworkersorasunpaidfamilyworkersinruralagriculturalareas.NGOandgovernment
officialsreportedcasesin2010inwhichfamilymemberssoldchildrentoemployersfordomesticlabororsexual
exploitation.10
ChildrenarealsovulnerabletovariousmilitarygroupsinthePhilippines.TheMoroIslamicLiberationFront
(MILF),aseparatistgroup,andtheNewPeoplesArmy(NPA)havebeenidentifiedbytheUnitedNationsas
amongtheworldspersistentperpetratorsofviolationsagainstchildreninarmedconflict,includingforcing
childrenintoservice.During2010,therewerecontinuedreportstotheUnitedNationsthattheAbuSayyaf
Grouptargetedchildrenforconscriptionasbothcombatantsandnoncombatants.11
Causes
ThereareanumberofhighriskfactorsinthePhilippinesthatcancontributetohumantrafficking.These
include:
ConflictbetweenMILFandtheArmedForcesofthePhilippines(AFP)leftbetween128,000and160,000
vulnerableindividualsdisplacedin201012
Poverty,populationgrowth,anddependencyburdenshaveleadsomeparentstoseechildlaborasa
meanstocopewithmeagerfamilyincomes.13
Pervasiveandpersistentpoverty,especiallyinruralareas,highunemploymentandunderemploymentand
constraintstosmallandmediumenterprisesgrowthareafewofthechallengesfacingtheFilipinolabor
forcethathaveleadmanytomigrateforwork.14
Presenceofalargeinformaleconomy,estimatedtobebetween4080%ofFilipinoworkers,whoarefor
themostpartnotregisteredorrecordedinofficialstatisticsandarebeyondthereachofsocialprotection
andlaborlegislation.15
Anestimated900,000undocumentedFilipinos,mostlybasedinMindanao,whoselackofofficial
documentationcontributestothepopulationsvulnerabilitytotrafficking.16
Anestablishedorganizedcrimenetworkthatplaysupontheabovefactorsandfraudulentlyrecruits
personsforjobsthatareinrealityforcedlaborsituations.17
Persistentlawenforcementofficialscomplicityinhumantraffickingandcorruptionatalllevelsof
governmentthatenablestraffickerstoprosper.18
ThePhilippineGovernment
ThePhilippineGovernmentwasplacedinTier2inthe2011U.S.DepartmentofStatesTraffickingin
PersonsReportfornotfullycomplyingwiththeTraffickingVictimsProtectionActsminimumstandardsforthe
eliminationoftraffickingbutmakingsignificanteffortstodoso.
ThePhilippinescriminallyprohibitsbothsexandlabortraffickingthroughits2003AntiTraffickinginPersons
Act,whichprescribespenaltiesuptolifeinprison.Thelawallowsprivateprosecutors,includingNGOs,tofile
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lawsuitsagainsttraffickers.During2010,thePhilippineDepartmentofJusticeandSupremeCourtissued
directivestoexpeditethedispositionofbackloggedtraffickingcasesandconvicted25traffickingoffenders.19
Inthecaseofchildlabor,theDepartmentofLaborandEmployment(DOLE)issuednewregulationsin2009that
facilitatetheimmediateclosureofestablishmentssuspectedofusingchildrenforcommercialsexacts,with
courthearingstodeterminethevalidityofthecomplainttobeheldatalatertime.Between2009and2010
DOLEorderedtheclosureof22establishmentsforallegedlyprostitutingminors.Trialsinthesecasesare
ongoing.20
Additionally,authoritiesmadenotableeffortsin2010toaddresstraffickingrelatedcorruption,andseveral
criminalcasesagainstPhilippineofficialswereinitiatedandremainongoing.Thegovernmentenactednumerous
measuresandpoliciesaimedatimprovinginstitutionalresponses,includingincreasedtrainingofjudicial,law
enforcement,anddiplomaticofficialsontraffickingissuesthecreationandfundingofantitraffickingtask
forcesinairports,seaports,regions,andlocalitiesandanincreaseindedicatedstafftocombating
trafficking.21
However,thereremainsasubstantialbacklogintraffickingcasespendinginPhilippinecourtsalackofvigorous
effortstopursuecriminalprosecutionoflabortraffickers,includinglaborrecruitmentcompaniesinvolvedinthe
traffickingofmigrantworkersabroadrampantcorruptionatalllevelsthatenablestraffickersandundermines
effortstocombattraffickingandunevenandinsufficienteffortstoidentifyandadequatelyprotectvictimsof
traffickingparticularlythosewhoareassistingwithprosecutions.22
Prosecution
During2011,thegovernmentconvicted25traffickingoffendersin19casescomparedwithninetraffickers
convictedinsixcasesduringthepreviousyearincludingthefirsteverconvictionofalabortraffickerwhosold
twowomenintodomesticservitudeinMalaysia.Thelabortraffickerwassentencedto28yearsimprisonment
andfinedover$28,000.Sentencesfortheother24convictedoffendersrangedfromsixyearstolife
imprisonment.Philippinecourtshave338pendingorongoingtraffickingcases.23
In2010,theDepartmentofJusticeorderedprosecutorstomaketraffickingcasesapriority,designating36
prosecutorstovariousnational,regional,andairporttaskforcestoworkonantitraffickingcases.Thistask
forcemodelensuresthatprosecutorsassistlawenforcementinbuildingcasesagainstsuspectedtrafficking
offenders.Thegovernmentalsoranamandatorytrainingsessionontraffickingforover400judgesand
expandedantitraffickingtrainingeffortstoseveralhundredpoliceandlawenforcementofficers,inpartnership
withNGOsandforeigndonors.However,NGOsreportedthatdespitethetrainingstherecontinuestobealack
ofunderstandingoftraffickingandtheantitraffickinglawamongmanyjudges,prosecutors,socialservice
workers,andlawenforcementofficials.24
Widespreadcorruptionandaninefficientjudicialsystemcontinuetoposeveryseriouschallengestothe
successfulprosecutionoftraffickingcases.Throughout2010,therewerereportsthatofficialsandpoliceinanti
traffickingunitsandagenciespermittedtraffickerstoescapeduringraidsconductedfakeraidsinorderto
extortbribesfromtraffickersandvictimsandacceptedpaymentsorsexualservicesfromestablishments
knownfortraffickingwomenandchildren.During2010,thegovernmentbegantotakestepstoidentifyand
prosecuteofficialscomplicitinsuchabuses,filingcriminalcasesagainsteightofficialsandadministrativecases
againstanadditional21officials(noneofthecaseshadbeenconcludedasoftheendofthe2010reporting
period).25
Protection
ThePhilippineGovernmentcontinuestooperate42temporarysheltersforvictimsofalltypesofabuse,and
staysatthesheltersareatthevictimsdiscretion.However,thecapacitytoprovidevictimprotectionservices
remainsverylimited,duetoinsufficientfundingfromthegovernment.Additionally,throughthePhilippines
OverseasLaborOffices,thegovernmentprovidesemergencyshelter,medicalcare,andlegalassistanceto
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Filipinotraffickingvictimsinseveralcountries,includingtheUAE,Kuwait,SaudiArabia,Qatar,Jordan,
Singapore,andMalaysia.26
Thegovernmentencouragesvictimstoassistintheinvestigationandprosecutionoftheirtraffickers,butthe
governmentsseriouslackofvictimandwitnessprotection,exacerbatedbyalengthytrialprocessandfearof
retaliationbytraffickers,causesmanyvictimstodeclineorwithdrawcooperation.During2010,the
DepartmentofJusticeonlyassistedthreetraffickingvictimspursuecases.27
Prevention
ThePhilippineGovernmentsupportsanarrayofpreventionactivities.During2010,thegovernmentincreased
trainingandpublicawarenesscampaignsontraffickingforjudicialofficials,lawenforcementpersonnel,local
governmentunits,andcivilsocietygroups.Thegovernmentconductedpreemploymentseminarsforover
100,000prospectiveandoutboundoverseasforeignworkers.Italsoheldtrainingseminarsfordiplomatsand
embassypersonnelinSoutheastAsia,theMiddleEast,andNorthAfricaonvictimidentification,reportingof
traffickingcases,victimcenteredinterviewtechniques,andoptionsforfilingtraffickingcasesagainsttraffickers
inthedestinationcountriesorinthePhilippines.28
InDecember2010,thePhilippineCongressappropriated$550,000inthe2011nationalbudgettofund,forthe
firsttime,theInterAgencyCouncilAgainstTrafficking(ICAT)andtheDepartmentofSocialWelfareand
Developmentsantitraffickingprograms.Withthis,ICATwasabletosignificantlyincreasestaffingatitsNinoy
AquinoInternationalAirportantitraffickingtaskforce,whichnowoperates24hoursperday,sevendaysper
week.Thegovernmentalsoestablishedfourregionalantitraffickingtaskforcesconsistingofprosecutors,law
enforcementagents,socialworkers,andNGOsintraffickinghotspotsaroundthecountryandlaunchedanew
24hournationwideantitraffickinghotlinedesignedtorespondtocrisiscallsfromvictims.29
InAugust2010,theBureauofImmigrationinstitutednewscreeningguidelinesforportsofexit,leadingtothe
interceptionofover28,000passengersidentifiedaspotentialvictimsoftrafficking,duetotheirlackofproper
documentationandindicatorsofhighriskforillegalrecruitmentandtrafficking.Over900caseswerereferred
ontogovernmententitiesforfurtherinvestigation.30
InternationalCooperation
ThePhilippineGovernmentworkswithinternationalNGOsandforeigngovernmentstocombathumantrafficking
inthePhilippinesandofFilipinomigrantsabroad.31
Recommendations
TheU.S.DepartmentofStaterecommendsthatthePhilippinegovernmentenactthefollowingmeasuresinits
2011TIPReport:
Sustaintheintensifiedefforttoinvestigate,prosecute,andconvicteffectivelyanincreasednumberofboth
laborandsextraffickingoffendersinvolvedinthetraffickingofFilipinosbothwithinthecountryand
abroad
ContinuetofundandstrengthentheInterAgencyCouncilAgainstTraffickingandprovidefulltimestaffing
andmanagementfortheIACATSecretariat
Addressthesignificantbacklogoftraffickingcasesbydevelopingmechanismstotrackandmonitorthe
statusofcasesfiledwiththeDepartmentofJusticeandthoseundertrialinthecourts
Strictlyenforceanticorruptionlawsandexpediteadjudicationofcasesfiledbytheregionalantitrafficking
taskforces
Conductimmediateandrigorousinvestigationsofcomplaintsoftraffickingcomplicitybygovernment
officialsandensureaccountabilityforleadersthatfailtoaddresstraffickingrelatedcorruptionwithintheir
areasofjurisdiction
Strengthenantitraffickingtrainingforpolicerecruits,lineofficers,andpoliceinvestigators
Makeeffortstoimprovecollaborationbetweenvictimserviceorganizationsandlawenforcementauthorities
withregardstolawenforcementoperations
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Increasevictimshelterresourcestoexpandthegovernmentsheltersystemtoassistagreaternumberof
traffickingvictims,includingmalevictimsofbothsexandlabortrafficking
IncreasefundingfortheDepartmentofJusticesprogramfortheprotectionofwitnessesandentryof
traffickingvictimsintotheprogram
Increaseeffortstoidentifytraffickingvictimsindestinationcountriesandtopursuecriminalinvestigation
andprosecutionoftheirtraffickersand
Developandimplementprogramsaimedatreducingdemandforcommercialsexacts.32
__________________________
1ILO:LabourMigrationinthePhilippines
22011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
32011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
42010USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
52009USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
62011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
72011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
82011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport2010USDepartmentofStateHumanRights

Report
92011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
102010USDepartmentofStateHumanRightsReport
11

2011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport2010USDepartmentofStateHumanRights
Report
122010USDepartmentofStateHumanRightsReport
13ILO:ChildLaborinthePhilippines
14ILO:EmploymentPromotioninthePhilippines
15

ILO:InformalEconomyinthePhilippines

162011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
172011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
18

2011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport

192011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
202010USDepartmentofStateHumanRightsReport
21

2011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport

222011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
232011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
242011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
252011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
262011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
272011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
282011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
292011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
302011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
312011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport
322011USDepartmentofStateTraffickinginPersonsReport

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