The government deserves recognition for its sustained efforts to keep the Philippines among the top countries in the world with respect to fighting human trafficking, as reflected in the 2018 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report of the US State Department.

The Philippines, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan were the only countries in East Asia and the Pacific to be awarded Tier 1 status.

Since 2016, the Philippines has been in Tier 1 on the TIP list. From 2011 to 2015, the country was in Tier 2. Tier 1 means full compliance with the US Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000.

On the other hand, Tier 2 means no full compliance but making significant efforts to comply. Tier 2 Watchlist means no full compliance and absolute number of victims increasing while Tier 3 means no full compliance and no significant efforts to comply.

Among other things, the report noted the Philippine government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts against human traffickers.

It noted the government has “effectively” coordinated identification, referral and provision of services to more victims and has increased efforts to help Filipino migrant workers that are victims of trafficking abroad.

Likewise, the 2018 US report also cited the efforts of the Philippines to reduce the backlog of trafficking cases in the courts.

The report is a reason for jubilation not because we are complying with what the US wants; rather, it’s a cause for celebration because our government strives harder to protect our citizens.

However, while the country is at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, there remains some serious concerns, particularly forced labor and sex trafficking of men, women and children.

The report pointed out “young Filipino girls and boys are increasingly induced to perform sex acts for live Internet broadcast to paying foreigners in other countries; this typically occurs in private residences or small Internet cafes, and may be facilitated by victims’ family members and neighbors.”

But with the faster rollout of infrastructure under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program, more and better-paying jobs are also expected to become available. This would provide laborers a better choice than exploitative situations and protect women who are being lured into prostitution because they have no other options available.

It is also welcome to note our authorities are steadfast in their efforts to go against those who are exploiting minors for online sex shows, as indicated by the recent arrests that included parents and relatives of the victims.

The trend is obvious: online sex trade is growing with the inexorable march of technology.

It is, thus, imperative for our authorities not only to keep pace with technological developments and strengthen coordination with their counterparts abroad, but also to intensify the crackdown on child exploitation.

They should always keep in mind the saying: “Success is like a sword. You can do everything with it, except sit on it.” The key to victory against the abhorrent practice of human trafficking, then, is sustained effort.

If we do this, our country would always be in TIP top shape.