Visayan Forum, Inc.: Fighting Human Trafficking in the Philippines
Visayan Forum, Inc. (VF), in partnership with the Philippine Ports Authority, operates eight halfway houses at strategic seaports across the Philippines. These facilities provide support to vulnerable migrants and help combat human trafficking by intercepting potential victims and apprehending traffickers.
The Philippines is one of the top sources of migrant workers globally. With over eight million Filipinos working abroad, the nation’s economy relies heavily on their remittances, as do the economies of their host countries. However, many migrants fall victim to trafficking, lured by false promises of a better life in urban areas. Traffickers, often connected with corrupt officials, transport victims through seaports and land routes across the archipelago, relying on clandestine networks and recruiting from remote communities.
VF’s Anti-Trafficking Initiatives
To address these challenges, VF collaborates with the Philippine Ports Authority and the Manila International Airport Authority to run 24-hour facilities at major ports. VF has also organized the Anti-Trafficking Task Force, which includes coast guard and maritime police, stevedoring workers, and private companies. VF provides regular training to private shipping companies and crews to help identify potential victims aboard vessels and at ticket counters. Private companies and donors have contributed resources for these safe-haven facilities, which have also been established in airports in cooperation with airport authorities.
Services Provided at Safe-Haven Facilities
VF’s halfway houses serve as documentation points for trafficking cases within the Philippines and abroad. At these facilities, social workers and field organizers offer a range of services, including:
- Emergency temporary shelter and reintegration assistance;
- Travel, employment, and support network information;
- Quick referrals for legal and other forms of assistance;
- Telephone hotline counseling;
- Outreach for stranded passengers;
- Training and advocacy for port community members, including police, coast guard, shipping crew, porters, and security guards.
Partnerships and Government Collaboration
VF works closely with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to verify recruiters’ permits, assess the legality of employment agencies, and assist with repatriation and reintegration for intercepted victims. VF also collaborates with the Department of Justice to prosecute traffickers, ensuring accountability and justice for victims.
Through its alliances with the Philippine Ports Authority and other government institutions, VF has documented over 12,800 cases of trafficking and attempted trafficking. To date, 68,000 migrants have benefited from the program’s services.
About Visayan Forum, Inc.
Visayan Forum, Inc. is a non-profit organization with offices in 20 provinces and cities across the Philippines. Known for its work with vulnerable migrants, especially victims of trafficking and exploitation, VF has influenced numerous local ordinances on human trafficking and domestic workers’ rights. VF also provides residential care and community-based services for women and children facing difficult circumstances.
