Over 400,000 Pinoys living in modern slavery

MANILA, Philippines – The number of Filipinos trapped in modern slavery significantly increased in the last two years, a majority of them in forced labor, according to the 2016 Global Slavery Index released yesterday by the Australian-based Walk Free Foundation.

The Philippines ranked 33rd among 167 countries covered in the survey, with an estimated 401,000 Filipinos living in modern slavery.

It ranked 103rd among 167 countries in the 2014 Global Slavery Index, with 261,200 individuals.

The 2016 report showed that many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are suffering from exploitation in various parts of the world, especially those in domestic service.

“Modern slavery exists in the Philippines. The issue of forced labor for Filipinos working abroad is a significant concern,” the report said.

In terms of vulnerability, the Philippines obtained a score of 47.67 percent.

The country continues to receive a rating of BB, which means that it has taken steps to address the issue including short term victim support services, a criminal justice framework that criminalizes some forms of modern slavery, a body to coordinate the responses and protection for those who are vulnerable.

In 2015, the Philippines partnered with the Netherlands to combat human trafficking, indicating strong political will in fighting transnational modern slavery, the report said.

The group has urged the Philippine government to intensify law enforcement efforts and prosecute all forms of modern slavery, especially those involving the youth.

An estimated 45.8 million men, women and children around the world are trapped in modern slavery. The figure is 28 percent more than previous estimates.

The report said India has the highest number of people trapped in slavery with 18.35 million, while North Korea had the highest incidence and the weakest government response.

The group explained that while the prevalence and absolute numbers of modern slavery have increased, this was due to enhanced data collection and research methods.