US helps PH fight human trafficking

THE U.S. Embassy in Manila yesterday said the US government is providing P153 million ($3 million) to support the Philippine government’s commitment to end modern day slavery.

The three-year project , “Strengthening Local Systems and Partnerships for More Effective Counter-Trafficking in Persons in the Philippines” was launched through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

USAID will partner with the Philippine government’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, the non-governmental organization Partnership for Development Assistance in the Philippines, local governments, civil society, and the private sector to strengthen local systems and partnerships to end human trafficking in the Philippines.

This project complements ongoing U.S. assistance against human trafficking, such as the Child Protection Compact and the Program to End Modern Slavery.  

Together, these three programs represent a more than P510 million U.S. government commitment to anti-human trafficking efforts in the Philippines.

At the project launch, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim stressed that, “Men, women, and children continue to fall prey to traffickers and illegal recruiters all over the world.  Through our programs, we partner with our friends and allies to strengthen social safety nets and the rule of law, as well as expand citizens’ education and employment opportunities.”

Kim also lauded the Philippine government for its strong commitment to addressing trafficking in persons, as well as local civil society organizations for working together to fight human slavery in the country.

In the 2019 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report, the Philippines maintained its Tier 1 ranking for the fourth consecutive year, meaning that the Philippine government continues to fully meet minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking.