PRESS RELEASE
SFPCG-PR- 01-2021
PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL IN SAN FRANCISCO JOINS IN THE CELEBRATION OF ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH
The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco participated in the virtual Press Conference to Kickoff Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Month on 08 January 2021, organized by the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking (SFCAHT). Over 170 people participated in the Press Conference, which was held virtually in view of COVID-19 restrictions.
SFCAHT is a network of government and non-profit organizations and individuals that aims to combat human trafficking in San Francisco through public awareness, survivor outreach, policy change advocacy, data collection and strengthened collaboration.
The Press Conference is the 12th annual event of SFCAHT, in line with the celebration of January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month, which was first proclaimed by former President Barack Obama in 2010.
Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of State Raquel Solano was a featured speaker in the Press Conference, along with San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California David Anderson, and other federal and local officials and advocates.
In her remarks, Deputy Consul General Solano presented the Philippines’ initiatives in combatting human trafficking. She noted that the Philippines was one of the first countries to enact legislation on human trafficking, through Republic Act 9208, and its amendment Republic Act 10364. The country’s actions are pursued via a whole-of-government approach, through the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. The country’s inroads in
human trafficking were recognized by its classification as a Tier 1 country in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report since 2016.
At the end of the Press Conference, SFCAHT presented the following awards to the following, for their contributions in combatting human trafficking:
– Trailblazer Abolitionist Award – Ms. Nola Brantley, CEO of Nola Brantley Speaks and Co-Founder of MISSSEY
– Modern-Day Abolitionist Award for Outstanding Advocacy – Ms. Sable Marie Horton, Survivor Consultant at West Coast Children’s Clinic
– Modern-Day Abolitionist Award for Outstanding Service to Human Trafficking Survivors – Ms. Carly Devlin, Program Manager, Huckberry Advocacy and Response Team
– Modern-Day Abolitionist Award for Outstanding Policy and Legal Achievements – Mr. Ruth Silver Taube, Legal Services Chair of the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking
– Modern-Day Abolitionist Award for Outstanding Community Collaboration – Ms. Betty Ann Hagenau and Mr. Brian Wo, Co-Founders of the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition