The Philippines is a global hub for the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC), with UNICEF reporting that 80% of Filipino children are vulnerable. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are an extremely vulnerable diaspora, and are regularly entrapped in forced labor or domestic servitude around the world. Since the pandemic, the rates of OSEC and unsafe migration abroad have only increased. Despite this, the rates of reporting and prosecution remain low.

Since the start of our work in the Philippines in 2019, Arise has supported over 10,000 vulnerable people through 14 grants. Arise supports frontline groups rehabilitating survivors of trafficking, forming community organizations to increase safeguarding and reporting rates, and raising awareness on OSEC and child protection.

Arise is also focussed on forging anti-trafficking networks, connecting government bodies, NGOs, businesspeople, the police, faith leaders, and journalists. During 2023 we organized nine capacity building and network strengthening training events, attended by 700 participants, representing over 70 frontline groups. Arise is seeking to grow long-term frontline capacity across the country, leaving dozens of organizations better placed to report, prosecute, and prevent exploitation.

Arise has also further developed the relationship with the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines, by providing training workshops to 90 members, who work in a variety of sectors, facilitating their participation in the anti-trafficking movement.

We will continue to facilitate collaboration within the Philippines anti-trafficking network, focussing on training community leaders and frontline staff through capacity building events to prevent labor and child sex trafficking across the 4 regions of the Philippines.

We plan to renew projects as well as grow our grant portfolio by a further 5 frontline groups with a focus on expanding into the exploitative fishing sector.

We continue to lead on the capacity building programs for the Knights of Columbus, training Brother Knights to become anti-trafficking ambassadors in their communities where they can raise awareness and disseminate vital anti-trafficking information.