Philippines drafts national roadmap to combat forced labor, child labor and trafficking

The Philippines is developing a national roadmap to accelerate action against forced labor, child labor, human trafficking and modern slavery as part of its bid to become an Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder country, according to a press release by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Government agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, civil society, survivors and survivor networks contributed to the roadmap development held on 23-24 September 2026 in Manila. Participants reaffirmed their commitment as members of the National Council Against Child Labor and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. In 2025, the Philippines, through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), expressed its interest in joining the initiative. The country plans to present the roadmap to the Alliance 8.7 Secretariat for endorsement in the last quarter of the year.

Target 8.7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals calls on countries to take immediate and effective measures to eliminate forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labor. Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder countries commit to accelerating progress through coordinated national action. Joining the Alliance would offer the Philippines opportunities to share national experience and strengthen access to technical assistance, strategic resources and peer learning. Through projects funded by the Government of Canada, the ILO is providing technical guidance in partnership with Free the Slaves. These include the Strengthening Freedom of Association and Action Against Child Labour (FOA-CL) and the Promoting Responsive Institutions and Mechanisms to Eliminate Forced Labour in the Philippines (PRIME PH) projects.

The Philippines has made progress in reducing child labor, with the number of working children engaged in child labor falling from 678,000 in 2023 to 509,000 in 2025. The roadmap seeks to align national action with the Marrakech Global Framework for Action against Child Labour. Forced labor, however, remains difficult to measure because it is often hidden. In 2024, Philippine authorities identified 890 trafficking victims, including 345 victims of labor trafficking. Victims were exploited in agriculture, domestic work, construction, fishing, manufacturing, maritime occupations and online-facilitated schemes.

Forms of exploitation included deceptive recruitment, debt bondage, withheld wages or identity documents, excessive working hours and restrictions on freedom of movement.

“Decent work cannot exist and we cannot break the cycle of poverty when there are children trapped in child labour. Social justice cannot be achieved when people remain vulnerable to forced labour, trafficking and exploitation,” said Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty noted that the roadmap will extend efforts through 2030. The DOJ and IACAT pledged to align their work with the roadmap. Officials pointed to emerging challenges, including deceptive recruitment into foreign conflict zones and forced labor in agriculture and fishing.

Workers’ and employers’ organizations also backed the initiative, with the Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALLWEIS) and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) reaffirming commitments to protect vulnerable workers and uphold ethical supply chains. Free the Slaves is leading capacity-building efforts to equip stakeholders and survivor networks for sustained engagement. Partners identified gaps in data, coordination, institutional capacity, funding, legal frameworks, public awareness and survivor support. Proposed priorities include strengthening data systems, improving survivor-centered case management, addressing legal gaps and mobilizing financing. All these priorities will form part of the national roadmap to be submitted for endorsement later this year.