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HUMAN TRAFICKING

The humanity throughout the world has been experiencing various forms of
catastrophes caused by both natural and human intervention which often times hard
to deal with. One of those is the Human trafficking which I dubbed as the modern
form of slavery brought about by the increasing poverty. People tend to scape from
the reality by seeking better opportunity often times offered to them by group of
people who turned out to be the human traffickers and as a result, they have been
forced to engage in different forms of human tracking in order to please the human
trafficker .
The increasing poverty rate in every part of the world has triggered

the

social stability as people seems to lose hope and in turn strive hard to eradicate
such problem by looking for the easiest way easing the problem which has been
abused by the syndicated human traffickers. Due to lack of awareness

or even

ignoring the rampant scenarios of illegal human trafficking knowing that their lives
are at risk as they join or let the group use them in any endeavor the human
trafficker may want them to do.

According to the 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, Filipino human

trafficking victims have been identified in over 37 countries across five continents.
Absence of economic opportunities in the Philippines, gender role socialization, and
family dynamics make Filipinos especially vulnerable to human trafficking crimes.
However, reliable statistics on the number of Filipino human trafficking victims are
currently unavailable.
Within the country, sex tourists come from Northeast Asia, Australia, Europe, and
North America to engage in sexual activity with children. Child prostitution in the
Philippines primarily takes place in five types of places: 1) casas, a term used to
describe brothels; 2) bars with sex shows; 3) restaurants and karaoke bars; 4) in the
streets; and 5) in shopping malls. NGO organizations suggest that there may be 60,000 to
100,000 children forced into prostitution in the Philippines.
The economic disparity between rich and poor in the Philippines also facilitates
the opportunity for men to be trafficked abroad into situations involving forced labor or
debt bondage in factories, at construction sites, on fishing vessels, on agricultural
plantations, and in the shipping industry, according to the 2013 Report. Such report is
alarming back then

but authorities find it difficult to stop as it involved notorious

and influential personality both in our country and abroad.

In the locality of Davao City, our political leader through the leadership of
Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte , he tend to stabilize
the worrying public by confidently stating that human trafficking cases in Davao
Region can be properly addressed like how local authorities solve the problems on illegal
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drugs. Duterte said he deals human trafficking crimes equally with illegal drugs cases,
adding that both crimes get the same consequences. Based on the data obtained from
the Department of Justice, there are a total of 10 human trafficking cases in Davao City
this year. Davao City recorded the highest number of cases, followed by Tagum City
with five and Davao del Norte with one, according to Assistant Davao Regional
Prosecutor lawyer Robert Michael Razon. We are doing our very best but the problem
is our best is not enough, Duterte said. He said human trafficking is alarming since it can
happen anywhere and everywhere, especially at the airport, seaport and bus terminal,
where victims are being transported from one place to another.
Human Trafficking : Definition and Elements

Human trafficking is defined in international law as the recruitment,

transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of
force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of
power or of a position of vulnerability [] for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation
includes sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery-like practices, servitude or the
removal of organs. Forced or compulsory labour is all work or service, which is exacted
from any person under the menace of a penalty and for which the person has not offered
himself or herself voluntarily. It is irrelevant whether the person was paid for the work or
service. The definition of trafficking consists of three core elements, the action of
trafficking, the means and the purpose:

How is it being done (the means) threat, use of force, coercion,

abduction, fraud, of deception, abuse of power, or a position of
vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits .

To achieve the: consent of a person having control over another person.

The purpose (why is it being done?) is Exploitation which include:

at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of human beings and
other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or
practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.
If all the elements of human trafficking are present, the fact that an adult initially
consented is irrelevant. It is also considered trafficking if the victim had no real or
acceptable alternative but to submit to the abuse. If the victim is a child, it is considered
trafficking even if there is no threat or use of force. Trafficking need not be across
borders; it can occur within the borders of a single country. Victims are trafficked both
within and across international borders. Migrants as well as internally displaced persons
are particularly vulnerable, as evidenced by the aftermath of the calamities

like

earthquake in Haiti and typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines.

Hard Facts is that examples of human trafficking cases span sex trafficking in
India and Latin America, the shrimp industry in Thailand, child soldiers in Burma, cotton
in Uzbekistan, fishing on Lake Volta in Ghana, and forced labor in Floridas citrus fields
and Californias farms.

Human trafficking affects every country around the world,

regardless of socio-economic status, history, or political structure.

Human Trafficking Market
Human traffickers have created an international market for the trade in human beings
based on high profits and demand for commercial sex and cheap labor. Sex trafficking
occurs when people are forced or coerced into the commercial sex trade against their
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will. Child sex trafficking includes any child involved in commercial sex. Sex
traffickers frequently target vulnerable people with histories of abuse and then use
violence, threats, lies, false promises, debt bondage, or other forms of control and
manipulation keep victims involved in the sex industry. Sex trafficking exists within the
broader commercial sex trade, often at much larger rates than most people realize or
understand. Sex trafficking has been found in a wide variety of venues of the overall sex
industry, including residential brothels, hostess clubs, online escort services, brothels
disguised as massage parlors, strip clubs, and street prostitution.
Industry Driver
Traffickers exploit others for the profit gained from forced labor and commercial sex.
They lure and ensnare people into forced labor and sex trafficking by manipulating and
exploiting their vulnerabilities. Human traffickers prey on people who are hoping for a
better life, lack employment opportunities, have an unstable home life, or have a history
of sexual or physical abuse. Traffickers promise a high-paying job, a loving relationship,
or new and exciting opportunities and then use physical and psychological violence to
control them. Traffickers can be lone individuals or part of extensive criminal networks,
with the common thread of exploiting people for profit.
A wide range of criminals, including individual pimps, family operations, small
businesses, loose-knit decentralized criminal networks, and international organized
criminal operations, can be human traffickers. Often the traffickers and their victims
share the same national, ethnic, or cultural background, allowing the trafficker to better
understand and exploit the vulnerabilities of their victims. Traffickers can be foreign
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nationals and U.S. citizens, males and females, family members, intimate partners,
acquaintances, and strangers. Based on human trafficking cases that have been identified
by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, examples of traffickers may
include:

Brothel and fake massage business owners and managers

Employers of domestic servants
Gangs and criminal networks
Growers and crew leaders in agriculture
Intimate partners/family members
Labor brokers
Factory owners and corporations
Pimps
Small business owners and managers

Ultimately, traffickers exist because human trafficking remains highly lucrative.

There are two primary factors that drive human traffickers: high profits and low risk. This
powerful combination is driving the explosive spread of human trafficking, making it one
of the most profitable criminal industries in the world.
Human trafficking operations often intersect or exist alongside legitimate businesses
and require a number of other actors and specific conditions in order to operate without
detection. Certain industries are commonly used by traffickers to enable, support, or
facilitate their human trafficking operations. Business Industries that Traffickers
Commonly Exploit:

Advertising (Online and Print)

Airlines, bus, rail, and taxi companies
Financial institutions, money transfer services, and informal cash transfer
services
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Hospitality industry, including hotels and motels

Labor brokers, recruitment agencies, or independent recruiters
Landlords
Travel and visa/passport services

Exploiting these businesses is essential to trafficking networks; traffickers require

space, advertising, transportation, and financial services to operate. In many cases,
businesses are unaware of how their facilities or services are being used by traffickers. In
other cases, they are aware of how their business may be facilitating the conditions
needed for the trafficking operations, and the profits they generate outweigh reservations
they may have about their role. Traffickers may also use these business industries to help
hide human trafficking crimes from authorities and increase the risk or difficulty for a
potential victim to reach out for help. Businesses offering these services have an
important role in the fight against human trafficking. Understanding human trafficking
and how their business model may be utilized by traffickers seeking to exploit others is a
first step for effective change. Businesses in these industries have a unique chance to
identify victims and report situations of trafficking. Furthermore, by strengthening
internal processes, policies and transparency, businesses have the opportunity to make it
more difficult for traffickers to use their business for criminal activities like human
trafficking. By isolating traffickers and increasingly denying opportunities to work
through legitimate businesses, trafficking operations will be more risky and more difficult
to maintain.
Globalizations Affect

How does human trafficking relate to the UN Global Compact? Human trafficking is
an abuse of human rights (Global Compact principles 1 and 2). If child labour or forced
labour is involved, Global Compact principles 4 and 5 are also implicated. Finally, if
corruption is involved, Global Compact principle 10 is implicated. As a result, human
trafficking is an issue that Global Compact participants and other companies will want to
be aware of, including how to avoid contributing to the problem and how they might be
able to take steps to help combat it.
An estimated 12.5 million people are in forced labour (including sexual
exploitation) at any given time as a result of trafficking
Of these:

1.4 million 56% - are in Asia and the Pacific

250,000 10% - are in Latin America and the Caribbean
230,000 9.2% - are in the Middle East and Northern Africa
130,000 5.2% - are in sub-Saharan countries
270,000 10.8% - are in industrialized countries
200,000 8% - are in countries in transition

161 countries are reported to be affected by human trafficking by being a source,

transit or destination count;

People are reported to be trafficked from 127 countries to be exploited in 137

countries, affecting every continent and every type of economy;

The Victims Based on Research

The majority of trafficking victims are between 18 and 24 years of age

An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. It is estimated that
there are 100,000 children in the sex trade in the US.

95% of victims experienced physical or sexual violence during trafficking (based

on data from selected European countries)

43% of victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation, of whom 98
per cent are women and girls

32% of victims are used for forced economic exploitation, of whom 56 per cent
are women and girls

Many trafficking victims have at least middle-level education

Pertinent Laws on Human Trafficking

Currently, there are a number of laws and international treaties that attempt to
address human trafficking in the Philippines. For example, the 2003 Anti-Trafficking in
Persons Act outlines penalties for human trafficking that are categorized by the U.S. State
Department as being sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for
other serious crimes, such as rape. However, during 2012 only 227 cases were filed with
the Department of Justice for potential prosecution, which led to a mere 24 convictions of
human traffickers in the Philippines, a decrease from the 29 traffickers convicted during
2011. This data suggests that although the Philippine government criminally prohibits sex
and labor trafficking through its laws, the crime is rarely successfully prosecuted. Some
explanations for this trend of under enforcement include lack of financial resources,
informal case processing, lack of victim cooperation, time lapse between charge and trial,
and lack of jurisdictional familiarity with the new and changing trafficking laws.
Over time, the Philippines have maintained a ranking of Tier 2 or Tier 2 Watch
List on the State Department scale. This ranking means that although the Philippines have
not fully complied with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) minimum
standards, the country is making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance.
However, for 2009 and 2010, the country was on the Tier 2 Watch List. During those
years, the U.S. State Department reported that thenumber of victims of severe forms of
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trafficking was very significant or significantly increasing; there was a failure to provide
evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of human trafficking; and/or the
determination that the Philippines was making significant efforts to bring the country into
compliance with minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take
additional future steps over the next year.
The Philippines continues to make improvements to their prosecution of human
trafficking cases, protection of human trafficking victims, and prevention of future human
trafficking crimes. Although the Philippine government only landed 24 convictions of
human traffickers in 2012, they used resources to assist 2,569 victims by providing skills
training, shelter, medical services, financial, and legal assistance. In that same year, at
least 223 Filipino children were rescued from the worst forms of child labor, including
sex trafficking. Additionally, pre-employment orientation seminars provided to Filipino
overseas workers may have potentially prevented an unknown number of international
human trafficking victimizations involving Filipino citizens.
Despite the improvements to the rates of human trafficking prosecution, victim
protection, and potential crime prevention, it is important to understand that these
statistics are not necessarily significant or proportional to the countrys economic growth
or the amount of money allocated to combat human trafficking locally. The Office of the
President of the Philippines has touted the Philippine economic growth as outpacing its
Southeast Asian Neighbors and far surpassing the IMF growth forecast of 3.5 percent.
However, the rate of poverty in the Philippines has remained relatively consistent,
hovering at or above 25 percent. Furthermore, there is little data to suggest that the

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improvements to anti-trafficking efforts are proportional to the allocated resources. For

example, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) receives over $1 million
per year to implement anti-trafficking laws and policies at the national, regional, and
provincial levels. Yet, these resources netted only 24 human trafficking convictions in
2012.
Ultimately, we know that economic disparity is a driving force toward human
trafficking. Given the recent economic growth in the Philippines, more research is
warranted to evaluate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of anti-trafficking efforts.
Conclusion
The human trafficking issues is a humanities issue which usually occurs in
backward countries where it involves the poor exploited by those who initially promised
income if they been accepted for work place and in accordance with the sector and where
they live and narrowness needed. The poor usually have complex financial problems, and
this makes them willing to place themselves in anywhere without investigating the
background and basic information that what will be their job. Furthermore, they are also
lack of knowledge because ignorance about their rights and the importance of
understanding how to defend themselves from deceived cause they are unable to get out
when hit by this problem. At the same time also, they are lack of exposure, and they are
more easily cheated. Thus, measures the best solution is comprehensive, especially the
involvement of government in formulating and drafting laws that can protect people from
falling prey to problems. Moreover, the involvement of NGOs in helping the government
solve this problem is appropriate and timely because the NGOs can carry out the duties
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that can not be carried out by Government. This issue will only be done if all the
emphasis and direct assistance whether in terms of moral and financial, and suggestions
with combating this commercial crimes.
Recommendation
A huge part of addressing this immense problem starts with finding individual
efforts, organizing in communities and organizations to brainstorm and implement,
working with and through governments and intergovernmental organizations and
international organizations to stop this problem. The

government

should

provide

enough job opportunities among citizens in order to encourage them to avoid doing
unlawful acts or encourage them to work hard. In addition, information drive,
prevention and protection campaign must be enhanced so that the rights and
responsibilities of every citizen shall be boosted. The government must encourage
strategic partnerships between law enforcement and civil society organizations

to

eradicate effectively the problem on human trafficking.

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights recommend 16 actions in order to
prevent or stop human trafficking such as:
Action 1: Read All About It.
There are a wide range of books that chronicle the personal experiences of
victims, survivors and campaigners against human/sex trafficking. Organize your book
club or your social clubs reading list to include these books and share these stories of

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struggle, triumph and hope. Good Reads provides a list of books that speak to human
trafficking and can be a great resource place!

Action 2: Share on Social Media.

We live in an increasingly connected world. With one click we can share an
informative meme, a change-inspiring photo, or a YouTube documentary with our social
networks. This amazing TedxSanJoaquin video is a really informative and thoughtprovoking. Please share it!
Action 3: Use Every Opportunity to Raise Awareness!
Be creative. Any event is an opportunity to raise awareness and make a difference.
Hope for the Sold has an amazing package that enables wedding guests to donate to Hope
for the Sold in lieu of wedding favors. Perhaps your birthday is coming up, an
anniversary or, a company launch; these are all great avenues to raise awareness
Action 4: Blog About It!
The blogospere is another area that we can use to advocate! Cool Cat Teacher
Blog used the Christmas season to launch a campaign to Free the Slaves for Christmas
amongst bloggers. This Christmas season is almost here; its a great time to make a
change!
Action 5: Donate your old cell phones.
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Be environmentally friendly AND save the lives of others through the

Phones4Freedom program. The Phones4Freedom program reuses and recycles old or
broken cellphones and uses them to help warn remote villages in impoverished
communities and areas of trafficking operations.
Action 6: Write a Victim, Support a Victim!
Survivors throughout the world are often comforted by these simple gestures.
Alternatively you can support Sanctuary Spring, an organization that offers some of these
survivors the opportunity to rebuild their lives by creating job opportunities through
crafting greeting cards. Purchasing one of these cards would be a small step in helping to
rebuild a survivors life.
Action 7: Organize Screenings of Documentaries.
Sharing a documentary beyond the realm of the world of social media remains an
excellent way to get support on the Ground. MTV EXIT Latin America, the Pan
American Development Foundation (PADF) amongst others, shared this year a threeweek long series of outdoor film presentations that showcased the human trafficking
documentary Invisible Slaves (The Animation) to impoverished communities.
Action 8: Work through Art.
One of the most powerful means of telling and sharing stories, emotions, and life
experiences has always been Art. Arts Aftercare, as one example, produces the Healing

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Arts Toolkit, and trains human trafficking aftercare groups how to use the toolkit to help
restore life and health in survivors of human trafficking.

Action 9: Be Trained!
One of the key ways to fight human trafficking is to be aware and engaged so that
you can best know how to help victims, leverage assistance, and organise. Organisations
like the Polaris Project provide a huge database of training materials including prerecorded webinars and interactive training sessions
Action 10: Fundraise and Donate.
The work of ending human trafficking requires incredible amounts of
infrastructure and work that ultimately carries a huge financial burden. 1) Research which
organizations you feel most comfortable giving to and 2) organize a bake sale, movie
night, marathon or any other event to raise funds. 3) Donate!
Action 11: Engage Students and Youth.
While young people, particularly girls, are extremely vulnerable to human
trafficking, they can also be key agents in this fight. The Not for Sale Campaign has
created a free school curriculum for both high schools and colleges which, when paired

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with its Student Abolition Movement, can be very effective in transitioning students from
learners to activists!
Action 12: Make it Their Business (Partner with Companies).
In an era of corporate irresponsibility where companies may be part of supply
networks that lend to human trafficking, partnerships with companies to break this cycle
are essential. As one example, The Body Shop in 2009 started a partnership with ECPAT
International and local NGO partners around the world to campaign to Stop Sex
Trafficking of Children and Young People, resulting in one of the largest campaigns ever.
Action 13: Public-Private Sector Partnerships.
Governments and businesses can and should combine their resources to address
human trafficking. An example of this is the recently announced Partnership for Freedom:
Innovation Awards to Stop Human Trafficking. This public-private initiative led by
Humanity United, the Department of Justice, and other federal agencies, with support
from Goldman Sachs, will fund innovative solutions to improve care for survivors of
human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
Action 14: Petition! Petition! Petition!
A huge part of ending the modern-day injustice of human trafficking involves
demanding more of our governments and holding accountable companies that
directly/indirectly support human trafficking. Change.org is one of the key petition sites
with over 10 live petitions currently addressing human trafficking.

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Action 15: Know your footprint! Be responsible.

Our food and clothes are sometimes produced thousands of miles away and in
some cases through slavery. Living miles away we may simply be unaware of how our
demand for certain foods and products contributes to human trafficking. Slavery
Footprint allows individuals to measure their footprint and see how much and how they
contribute to demand with a view to changing consumer patterns.
Action 16: Get Volunteering!
Perhaps you want to volunteer on the battle lines, away from the virtual world and
a lot closer to the spaces that often see the violation of so many persons annually.
Organizations like Not for Sale, Hope for the Sold, and A 21, among many others,
provide a chance to work to positively impact the lives of so many persons subject to
human slavery.
Reference

Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco, Ph.D. serves as Executive Director of The Justitia

Institute (TJI), a research non-profit focused on issues related to human
trafficking, immigration, and social justice. Dr. Mehlman-Orozco earned her
degree from the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason
University.
http://afrim.org.ph/newafrim/tag/human-trafficking-cases

http://www.traffickingresourcecenter.org/what-human-trafficking/human
trafficking/traffickers

http://www.ungift.org/docs/ungift/pdf/Human_Trafficking__Everybodys_Business.pdf
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http://biusvspa.blogspot.com/2011/03/conclusion.html

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