Nanay Fedelina reunites with her family

Nanay Fedelina Lugasan, victim of a six-decade domestic slavery in the US turned advocate of the fight against human trafficking finally met her family who flew to the US from Manila.

Philippine Consul General to Los Angeles Adelio Angelito Cruz welcomed Nanay Fedelina and her Philippine-based relatives on 9 March 2020. Nanay Fedelina and her relatives were accompanied by representatives from the Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California.

Nanay Fedelina and her relatives conveyed their sincerest gratitude to Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez for all the assistance extended to them, especially in securing the US visas of Nanay Fedelina’s relatives.

Cruz (center) welcomes Nanay Fedelina (fourth from left), her family members, Luz Lugasan Alabado (first from left), Leonila Lugasan Cinco (second from left) and Aquilina Versoza (rightmost).

They also met with members of media and the public in a program arranged by PWC entitled “Muling Pagkikita: A Family Reunion” on 10 March 2020.  A panel discussion on labor and human trafficking was held in conjunction with the reunification, which was attended by various migrants advocates and members of the media.

In Consul General Cruz’s remarks during the program, he expressed his appreciation to PWC for its continued collaboration with the Consulate General, as well as the collective efforts of various advocates in ensuring that Nanay Fedelina be given justice.

THE family of Nanay Fedelina are grateful for the help of the Consulate.

Cruz added that it takes only one person to identify and assist a possible human trafficking victim that could change one person’s life forever.  He calls on the community to continue to report trafficking victims to the authorities and that the Philippine government will continue to extend all possible assistance to them.

Since her rescue in early 2018 from slave-like conditions of domestic servitude for more than six decades at the hands of a family from Southern California, Nanay Fedelina has been an active anti-trafficking advocate herself. She shares her story during meetings and gatherings of migrants to help in the fight against all forms of trafficking, as well as to inspire other trafficking victims to come into the open to receive justice for themselves.