A country-wide approach is needed to combat human trafficking in PHL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to intensify its campaign against human trafficking to protect “children, women, the elderly, and other vulnerable individuals who have been victimized because of poverty.”

“Human trafficking cannot be solved by a whole-of-government approach alone, it must be a whole-of-country approach,” said Assistant Secretary of Justice in charge of IACAT Nicholas Felix L. Ty, speaking in Filipino in a July 17 press release.

The Philippines has done that for nine consecutive years maintained a Tier 1 ranking in the U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. This top status reflects the country’s compliance with the minimum standards established by the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to combat human trafficking.

“We will further intensify our campaign to end human trafficking by bringing perpetrators to justice and identifying and helping victims,” said Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, Ambassador to the US.

In line with the ongoing work to Combat Human Trafficking and Online Sexual Abuse or Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), the three-day initiative program led by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Special Action and Intelligence Committee on Transport (SAICT) actively participated in the Barangay Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) 2.0 activities from August 22 to 24.

Video presentations, lectures, roundtables, fellowship meetings, motorcades, and information campaigns would be used as a multifaceted approach to equip local officials and citizens with knowledge and tools to prevent human trafficking (TIP) within their communities.

According to the SAICT, public areas such as transportation terminals, ports, bus stations and airports are often targeted by human traffickers.

The SAICT encourages the public to “remain vigilant, report suspicious activity and protect children from traffickers.” – Almira Louise S. Martinez