PHL execs promoting 1343 hotline vs. human trafficking

Philippine officials are promoting in the provinces the hotline number 1343 for victims of human trafficking also called as “modern-day slavery."

A news release of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) said the "1343 Actionline Against Human Trafficking" is a project of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).

Human trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.

The program aims to assist human trafficking victims who seek help at these hotline numbers:
(02) 1343, if calling from the Philippines, and
(632) 1343, if calling from abroad.

Education program on migration

Meanwhile, the CFO also has a Community Education Program on Migration to prevent people from becoming victims of human trafficking.

In a recent symposium in Butuan City in southern Philippines, Ariel Cruz of the CFO’s Migrant Integration and Education Division said “some foreigners do human trafficking in a guise of marriage."

“We do not prevent the Filipino women to marry a foreigner. It is their right to marry. Nevertheless, we warn them to know very well their future husband", Cruz said.

In the PIA report, Paul Vincent Avencilla said the CFO has solved 54 cases of human trafficking since March 15 this year.

Avencilla said CFO officials also coordinated with the Butuan City Police to train them in dealing with human trafficking cases and educate the public about the Republic Act No. 9208 otherwise known as “Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003."

Under the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report of the US State Department, the Philippines is included in the Tier 2 category.

For having several convictions of human traffickers in the past year, the Philippines moved up from the "Tier 2 watch list" category to "Tier 2."

The report noted that although the Philippines "still does not fully comply with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking, Manila is making significant efforts to do so."

Those under the "Tier 2 Watch List" are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards but are making significant efforts to comply with those standards.

On the other hand, those under the Tier 2 category are "countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards." - VVP, GMA News

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