Winning The War vs Human Trafficking

Two years ago, Lara (not her real name) was in a house in Digos City, Davao del Sur along with 4 other girls. The 15-year-old and her companions were asked to stay there until there were 30 girls in the house.

Lara went along because she was made an offer she could not refuse: a job as a house maid in Manila earning P2,000 monthly, with an additional P500 for every month if she is a "good girl," and a scholarship if her employers liked her very much.

After two weeks, the 30 house girls were brought in a van to Cagayan de Oro. All of them were asked to memorize a fake birth certificate.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) officer who interviewed Lara had no inkling she was a minor.

Later on, they were all on their way to Manila where they were welcomed by Asian foreigners.

"There were foreigners shouting which they wanted to get (as a maid)," she said.

All the girls went their separate ways. Lara doesn't know what happened to the others.

Lara's employer promised her P2,000 to just cook. But she ended up being locked up and asked to clean a very big house every day. And even after six months of hard work, she was not paid even a single centavo.

Lara is a victim of human trafficking.

Keys to freedom
Lara was able to escape when her female boss left the house keys on the dining table and went to the bedroom for an afternoon nap.

It was 3 p.m., and not knowing where to go, Lara ran as far as she could. She asked for help from a roving Manila policeman, who then brought her to their headquarters.

Lara wanted to file a case against her employer, but she was advised by the police not to because she had no money to pay for a lawyer. She just took the P8,000 her former employer gave her. "It was not even the complete payment for what I earned," she said.

Prosecute Illegal Recruiters
Lara's case is only one of the many unfiled cases against illegal recruiters and abusive employers. But even those filed are not really resolved.

"As of today, there are 200 filed cases against human traffickers in the country," said Cecilia Oebanda, President and Executive Director of Visayan Forum Foundation Inc. (VFFI). VFFI is a non-government organization monitoring human trafficking activities in the Philippines.

"This is an increase of over 100% of the total number of trafficking cases filed last year," Oebanda added.

In 2008, there were 97 cases filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), but only four illegal recruiters were prosecuted, according to the United States Department of State Trafficking in Persons report. In 2006 there were only 3 cases filed, only one prosecuted, said Oebanda.

The Philippines ranked third, after China and India, as a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking, including sexual exploitation and forced labor.

According to the report, the Philippine government does not comply with the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking, and placed it on the Tier 2 Watch List. This means the US Department of State will monitor the Philippines, and other countries on the list, for their anti-human trafficking activities.

"Efforts of non-government organizations, like ours, are still not enough," said Oebanda. She said they can only help implement preventive measures. But prosecuting traffickers and enforcing the anti-trafficking law must be done by government.

In the Trafficking in Persons report, it said that government corruption and the inefficient judicial system contribute to lack of attention given to human trafficking cases. Many cases were not concluded because of high judge-turnover and lack of courtrooms and judges, leading to non-continuous trials. Victims are also discouraged from pursuing their cases.

‘STEP-UP' to Change
Lara was given a chance to start a new life when she was brought to a VFFI halfway house. This is where she learned about human trafficking.
"When I was maltreated, when I was being interviewed in the DOLE using my fake name and age, I didn't know it was already human trafficking," Lara said.
Seeing the importance of the human trafficking victims' reintegration to society, VFFI, together with Microsoft launched the third phase of their "Stop Trafficking and Exploitation of People through Unlimited Potential" (STEP-UP) project.

STEP-UP's objective is to prevent incidents of human trafficking in vulnerable areas-in big cities and ports--in the Philippines.

The project provides information and technology (IT) skills training to human trafficking victims, as well as underprivileged youth and adults in human trafficking hotspots in the country. The training lasts 6 months to a year.

Microsoft Business Marketing Organization Director Karrie Ilagan said they provide IT skills for victims and the underprivileged to "change their lives and offer a fresh start."

"They could not even find jobs before. Now, graduates of the STEP-UP curriculum are cited for the good job they are doing wherever they work," Ilagan added.

STEP-UP launched over 20 Community Technology Learning Centers (CTLCs) in Manila, Lipa, Batangas, Daet, Bacolod, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, Dumaguete and Davao.

The launch of phase III of the project celebrates the inclusion of 16 more NGOs working in partnership with VFFI and Microsoft, and the additional funding to be given to the project.

Since the project's first phase was launched on May 26, 2006-the third anniversary of the signing of Republic Act 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Person Act of 2003)-the project has helped and trained 16,256 beneficiaries.

Education and Livelihood Now Possible
"It is a reality that not everyone who graduated would be accepted when they apply for jobs," said Oebanda. But what STEP-UP provides are livelihood opportunities through IT skills training.

Lucy (not her real name), 19, was not a human trafficking victim, but enrolled in STEP-UP.

"I stopped school for a year to help in my family's finances but I couldn't find a job. My neighbor told me about STEP-UP so I enrolled. After I graduate, our area ‘mother' told me to take commercial cooking. They helped me apply for a scholarship under Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. I'm now going to have an internship at Renaissance hotel," Lucy said.

Oebanda said unemployed graduates were able to put up a small business making fliers and calling cards for their local markets. Some even digitized the database in local churches, proving that they have become self-sufficient and are not desperate to go outside the country or leave their homes.

New Start
Lara, now 17, is in second year high school. "Not only did they teach us IT skills, but they empowered us as well," she said. Aside from being in school, she uses her IT skills to earn a living, making post cards and calling cards.

"I want to be a journalist," Lara said.

"Before, I did not even know human trafficking. Television is a powerful, visual medium where I want to tell not only my story, but others' sufferings as well," Lara said.

Today, Lara is no longer a victim but an optimistic survivor.