PHILIPPINES National Strategic Plan of Action Against Trafficking in Persons ( ) Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking

National Strategic Plan of Action Against Trafficking “Eliminating trafficking in persons especially women and children and ensuring their recovery, rehabilitation and re-integration into mainstream society”

Background The Philippines is a State Party to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons having ratified the same in December, 2002 Passed the “Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act” inMay 2003 Created the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (IACAT) Developed a national action plan - The National Strategic Action Plan Against Trafficking in Persons

Objectives of the Stratplan Promote public awareness and sustain collective/coordinated advocacy efforts Coordinate the maximum effective and efficient implementation of the law Mobilize and forge partneships and cooperation among different agencies involved in the areas of prevention, protection, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked persons Establish and institutionalize an effective and efficient referral and tracking system of incidents of trafficking through all the stages of intervention Institutionalize a central database and a shared information system on trafficking

Strategies ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL MOBILIZATION CAPACITY BUILDING DATA COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT ALLIANCE BUILDING AND NETWORKING RESEARCH, POLICY STUDIES AND DOCUMENTATION INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS

Components/Strategic Activities PREVENTION - to create awareness, knowledge and commitment by all stakeholders to facilitate wide support and participation in comabating TIP developing and disseminating IEC materials initiating and sustaining public information organizing and/or strengthening community networks establishing reporting and referral system Document fraud examination acquisition continually conducts pre-departure marriage counselling

Components/Strategic Activities PROTECTION/LAW ENFORCEMENT/PROSECUTION - to create an environment where trafficked persons especially women and children are protected and ensure that institutional mechanisms for their protection are in place and operational Expanding community protection networks Enhancing capacities of frontline workers to address TIP Developing manuals and protocols Setting-up special units and task forces Establishing hotlines and quick response teams Strengthening inter-agency coordination Institutionalizing child-friendly and gender-sensitive criminal justice system Increasing bilateral cooperation with other countries (MOUs; creation of a task Force to address the isuue of TIP in Japan; MOU with Kuwait re: protection of Filipino citizens; continuous consultation with countries with large no. of Filipinos)

Components/Strategic Activities RECOVERY AND REINTEGRATION - to ensure the recovery and and reintegration oftrafficked persons into their respective families and communities Developing local programs for recovery and reintegration Increasing access to employment oportunities Strengthening/expanding halfway houses and shelters Preparing families and communities

Implementation Arrangements Developing policies, measures and programs for the prevention of trafficking, protection and support of trafficked persons and effective investigation and prosecution of traffickers through concerned government agencies Localizing trafficking initiatives through local government units (local laws/ordinances) Forging strategic partnerships with NGOs and other stakeholders Involving media, civil society and the private sector

Coordination and Monitoring The IACAT coordinates and monitors the implementation of all activities relating to the implementation of the stratplan against trafficking Regular consultative meetings are conducted with Government Agencies and NGOs Developing reporting system for implementing trafficking initiatives from the local to national level Standardizing statistical data and collection towards creating a national/central data base

Thank you and Mabuhay! Atty. Robert L. Larga Department of Justice Atty. Edna Mae G. Lazaro Department of Foreign Affairs