The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) has observed a change in the social profile of human trafficking victims, particularly forced labor, noting that while individuals from lower income backgrounds still account for the majority, the number of victims with a higher level of education has also increased.
Based on data and reports received by IACAT, even graduates who are looking for better job opportunities outside the country have also become vulnerable to trafficking schemes.
“They are targeted because of their skills. They are lured by being offered a higher salary, but when they arrive [at their destinations], they end up in a different situation,” said IACAT executive director Hannah Lizette Manalili.
In just the first half of this year, IACAT repatriated a total of 375 Filipino citizens who ended up overseas as trafficking victims. “In addition to this, we have provided support to a total of 900 victims of various forms of trafficking for the first half of 2025, through the IACAT operations center,” she added.
The IACAT has also filed cases against a total of 111 individuals from January to June – 63 for forced labor and the rest for sex trafficking.
Manalili also said that because of the internet, the victims now come from more spread out areas of the country, compared to before when there were trafficking hotspots.
Human trafficking rings are taking full advantage of technology such as the internet to increase their reach in terms of geography and demography, allowing them to target those with higher levels of education and breaking free from their usual target areas that have become hotspots. In view of that, our government has to be one step ahead, instead of being a step behind these criminals who are among the worst kind, as they target the desperation of people who are looking for ways to improve their lives.*
