EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 220 - CREATING AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO SUPPRESS TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, PARTICULARLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN

WHEREAS, the Philippines upholds the human rights of people including their rights to travel;  

WHEREAS, trafficking in persons, particularly women and children has emerged as a major global issue owing to the involvement of transnational organized criminal groups who take advantage of the vulnerable conditions of migrants;

WHEREAS, in their desire to seek employment abroad, a significant number of Filipinos have become victims of unscrupulous individuals and entities who entice them to obtain entry to destination countries at whatever costs and means;

WHEREAS, victims of trafficking, particularly women and children, have been exposed to situations of abuse, exploitation, violence, and the violation of their human rights, thereby rendering them even more vulnerable to the adverse effects of poverty;

WHEREAS, the Philippines as a founding member of the UN, has actively participated in global efforts, including UN initiatives, to suppress trafficking in persons, in particular the UN Resolutions on the Traffic of Women and Girls;

WHEREAS, global efforts to suppress trafficking in persons, particularly women and children, have been pursued and have progressed through various inter-governmental and multilateral initiatives;

WHEREAS, in support of these global efforts, the Philippines has taken an active role in evolving a regional approach to suppress trafficking in persons, particularly women and children, as exemplified by inter alia its leadership in the Manila Process and the Asian Regional Initiative Against Trafficking (ARIAT);

WHEREAS, there is a need for a body that will ensure an integrated approach for the review, consideration, approval, management and monitoring of bilateral, regional and multilateral initiatives to suppress trafficking in persons, particularly women and children;

WHEREAS, concerned Philippine government agencies undertake programs and activities to suppress trafficking in persons, particularly women and children, based on their respective mandates;

WHEREAS, there is a need to institutionalize the process of coordination and collaboration among concerned agencies in the implementation of these programs to achieve greater efficiency.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. Creation of the Executive Council. — An Executive Council on the Suppression of Trafficking in Persons, particularly Women and Children, is hereby created.

Sec. 2. Composition. — The Executive Council shall be chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and co-chaired by the Secretary of Interior and Local Government. It shall have for its members, the Secretaries of the following departments:

1) Department of Justice (DOJ)

2) Department of National Defense (DND)

3) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

4) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

5) Department of Tourism (DOT)

6) Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the President (OP)

1) Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF)

2) Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC)

3) National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM)

4) Philippine National Police (PNP)

5) National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

6) Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO)

7) National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW)

8) Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)

9) Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)

10) Commission on Human Rights (CHR)

11) National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC)