Published in its print edition on September 13-19, 2025
PUTTING a fight against human trafficking would be a long-term goal, much more with the prevalence of online sexual exploitation and forced criminality, among others, as threats.
While the country has been recognized as a global leader in combating human trafficking, maintaining its Tier 1 status in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released by the US State Department, the work involves having sustained efforts to eliminate trafficking in persons and its commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of Filipino nationals abroad.
It means having a whole-of-government approach to alleviating, if not eradicating, human trafficking and promoting human rights.
The country has demonstrated serious and sustained efforts to fight trafficking in persons and was once again assigned a Tier 1 status, thanks to the efforts being put up by the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) in having “appreciable progress” in combating trafficking every year.
As IACAT Executive Director Hannah Lizette Manalili puts it: “A multi-pronged approach should be implemented, which includes prevention, prosecution, and victim support.”
The cliché is if the Philippines will lag behind and does not meet the minimum standards, it will be placed in Tier 2 or Tier 2 Watch List while countries assessed as not fully meeting the minimum standards and not making significant efforts to do so are ranked Tier 3.
This could be something to fear on.#
