Preventing Child Trafficking in the Philippines

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2 Preventing Child Trafficking in the Philippines Education and the Gospel Message Written by: Scott Berry 2017 Educate Bohol, Inc

3 Human Trafficking in the Philippines It looks like paradise. In many ways, it is. The Philippine Islands draw thousands of foreign visitors from around the globe. White sandy beaches, perfect weather, warm ocean water, and lush landscapes give the Philippines great appeal to tourists seeking an escape from their homelands. The Filipino people are friendly and hospitable. In fact, the many hotels, resorts, restaurants, and businesses pride themselves with how well they treat their foreign customers.

4 All of those tourists have a powerful impact on the local economy. What many foreigners pay for a single meal represents a full day s wages for most Filipinos. A hard-working man or woman can easily improve their own standard of living by having work in service industries that cater to the foreign tourists. But many of those visitors seek other services that bring substantial financial wealth to those who can fulfill their desires. The sex trade in the Philippines is a billion dollar a year industry. Because of the desperate situations many Filipinos find themselves in, they become easy targets for the human traffickers. Unfortunately, many of the requests by those who come in search of sexual pleasures involve underage boys and girls. UNICEF estimates there are over 100,000 children in the Philippines actively involved in the sex trade at any given time. Because of serious corruption within the government and police forces, little is done to intervene. In some regions of the Philippines, the trafficking of children and young adults is done openly at bars and resorts frequented by foreign visitors. Trafficking isn t limited to the sex trade. Farms, mining operations, manufacturing, and domestic services have a high demand for unskilled labor as well. Children are an inexpensive and disposable workforce, with a sizeable pool of candidates. The number of children involved in the labor force are estimated at over one million. While technically illegal, officials again turn a blind eye to the abuse and dangerous environments in which many of these children work.

5 Human Traffickers Rely on Three Conditions There are three social conditions which makes someone susceptible to human trafficking. Before going into a discussion about the conditions which help traffickers find their victims, let s recognize one important fact: the trafficking of people is a supplyand-demand phenomenon. If the world could eliminate the market for human lives, trafficking would disappear from the face of the Earth. Unfortunately, the demand for human slaves has been an evil that has plagued mankind throughout history. We are unlikely to halt trafficking any time soon perhaps not until Christ returns to take His children home. Systemic Poverty The first social condition allows human trafficking to proliferate is poverty. There are actually two types of poverty: individual and systemic. Individual poverty is a problem found throughout the world, but the root causes are often self-inflicted. Substance abuse, laziness, and irresponsible behavior are among its many causes. Systemic poverty, however, is a condition that people are born into and involves major populations within a community, region, or country.

6 Essentially, poverty is the absence of or inability to secure the things necessary for daily life. Food, shelter, security, and health are the primary items essential for living day to day. Removing any one of those will result in poverty. It becomes systemic when the absence of one or more of these essentials is prevalent throughout a population.. Marginalization Communities often have areas where the residents live at a lower standard than do the majority of the town s population. Frequently these people live along the edge of town, away from the center of activity. It is said that they live on the fringe of society. These

7 people are looked down upon by much of society. They lose value and worth as human beings. They become marginalized. One does not necessarily need to live on the fringe to be marginalized. Societies that have caste systems, such as India and Nepal, have people of the lower castes living throughout the towns and cities in close proximity to those of the higher castes. They are the workers, the people who do tasks which are far beneath those from the higher levels of society. To be marginalized means to be devalued. Those of lower positions are of little worth, something acknowledged by everyone in the community, including the individual. This type of worthlessness is not to be confused with problems of self-esteem. These people truly have little to no value. Inadequate Education The third condition which contributes to a person s susceptibility is inadequate education. In most developed and developing countries, education is measured by which diploma a person has. That piece of paper is the key to better jobs and higher status. It reflects what degree of influence a person has in society. For example, one who has earned a PhD has significant influence on society. The high school dropout has little influence and is unable to climb the social ladder. In many societies, there are barriers to education. Poverty itself often limits a young person s likelihood of obtaining any kind of education. Without that certificate or diploma, meaningful employment is

8 simply out of reach. The undereducated are left to find whatever work is available, regardless of dangers, lack of morality, or even legality. Hunger will drive a person to unimaginable actions. Enter the Devil It becomes understandable then that a young boy or girl might accept an attractive offer from a recruiter. The desire for a place to live, the promise of a meal each day, and the prospect of getting ahead in the world can have a tremendous impact in a desperate soul. What is often misunderstood by people outside of the culture is that the decision to become trafficked is often voluntary. The individual understands what they are getting involved in, although they may not comprehend all of the conditions of employment.

9 Human traffickers are cool and calculating. They are skilled at manipulation and coercion. They are cunning salesmen who know how to close a deal. The victims quickly discover that the promises made are not at all like the reality of their situation. They also realize that escaping from their new employer is nearly impossible. For those who try to escape, getting caught has unimaginable consequences. Once in the Devil s lair, breaking free is an unattainable myth.

10 Prevention is the Answer There are organizations that take great risks to break a person free from the traffickers. Those young boys and girls are worth a lot of money, and their handlers will do anything to safeguard their property. There is a man in Cebu City who, in 2016, was shot at, stabbed, and nearly run down by a car due to his efforts to rescue children from sex traffickers. Death threats are a daily occurrence. It is a very dangerous ministry. Prevention versus Rescue Many of the organizations that claim to battle against child trafficking follow the three- P paradigm: prevention, protection, and prosecution. Certainly, if all of the traffickers were prosecuted and tossed in jail, much of the problem would be solved... for a while. Unfortunately, others would step in and take their place. Protecting children from being retrafficked is certainly a desirable goal; however, many of these children find the challenges of breaking free are more difficult than they appear. Often, they return to the trafficking lifestyle in spite of the dangers. The man in Cebu City mentioned above often talks about children who have gone back to prostitution, claiming that life on the outside is just too difficult. Educate Bohol has a relationship with that rescue ministry in Cebu City and frequently shares

11 information about best practices for combating the impact of trafficking. Interestingly enough, what they do upon rescuing a child from trafficking is the same thing Educate Bohol does to prevent children from ever being victimized in the first place. Education As noted above, there are three primary conditions that assist traffickers in the coercion and manipulation of children. One of those is inadequate education. Studies throughout developing countries show the same results: a child who is actively pursuing an education has a substantially lower risk of falling victim to the tempting promises of the traffickers. In the Philippines, nearly sixty percent of children never finish elementary school. The principle reason is poverty. Their families simply can not afford the school supplies necessary for admission to the classroom. It is illegal to deny children access to school because they don t have a pencil and paper. Yet, it happens every day. Educate: Bohol provides much needed school supplies to children who have been identified by community leaders. They fill backpacks with all of the necessary materials and often provide uniforms and shoes. In 2016, Educate: Bohol provided school supplies to over 1,400 needy students. This has a trickle-up effect on the families, the schools, the teachers, and the communities. When a child goes to school, everyone wins... except for the traffickers!

12 Marginalization Many children live in a world of rejection by society. People who have an influence on society often look down in disdain on those of meager means. This happens in the marketplace, on the streets, and even in the classroom. Children who are marginalized by society have little hope for their future. Educate: Bohol works with churches in target communities to share the love of Jesus with hopeless children. Sharing the Gospel message is a key element in combating trafficking. Children who have a hope that is not based on material needs stand strong against the false promises and coercive messages of the traffickers. Educate: Bohol volunteers teach Bible lessons, songs, and activities that provide children with a solid understanding of the scriptures. Through vacation Bible school programs and other outreach efforts, they ensure that children and their families develop a firm spiritual foundation. Once again, everyone wins except the traffickers. Teachers and administrators see a decrease in negative classroom behaviors, grades go up, and crime and substance abuse issues go down. It s a blessing to everyone! While little can be done to directly reduce poverty, having classrooms full of hard working students is a holistic approach to changing social conditions.

13 Reaching Out to Those in Need When organizations rescue children from trafficking, they must deal with the emotional, psychology, physical, and spiritual damage that has been done. Their workers provide school supplies and teach Bible lessons to help counter the ill effects of being trafficked, yet the success rates are unimpressive. Why not prevent them from having those traumatic experiences in the first place? Educate Bohol s mission statement reads: Using education to bring Jesus to children in the Philippines. And that is exactly what they are doing, addressing the lack of education by ensuring children have the tools they need for school, and the issue of marginalization by bringing Jesus. All of this is being accomplished within the society in which these children live, the Philippines. It is keeping them in their homes, putting them in the classroom, and encouraging them in church that will have the longest and most beneficial results. In return, the improvements in the lives of these children impact the issue of poverty in their community.

14 These three conditions that determine a child s future are interwoven, and it s Educate: Bohol s desire to be a catalyst of change in the communities where they work. They Need Your Help The volunteers who work tirelessly to provide school supplies and to teach the Gospel message can t do it alone. All of those activities have financial costs that need to be addressed. Without caring supporters,

15 these workers can do nothing to combat the wealthy traffickers. If Educate: Bohol had even one percent of the funds generated through trafficking, they could make a substantial and long lasting impact on the communities in the province of Bohol. What You Can Do Stay informed. Visit Educate: Bohol s website to learn what they are doing. Pray: The volunteers face numerous challenges and dangers as they travel to remote villages and islands. Financial support: Providing a student with a uniform, shoes, and a backpack filled with school supplies costs $25. A week-long Vacation Bible School program for 100 children averages $250 and includes materials, craft supplies, snacks, and travel and meals for the workers. The average tuition for a Bible college student is $70 per month. These Bible students volunteer for many of Educate: Bohol s outreach efforts. Tax deductible donations can be made online at Checks can be made out to Educate: Bohol and should be mailed to Educate: Bohol, 805 Cerro de Ortega, Rio Rancho, NM

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