Voice of the Free (VF) formerly Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc.‚ is a Philippine NGO established in 1991. Voice of the Free provides residential care and community-based programs and services for women and children in difficult circumstances. It works for the protection and justice of marginalized migrants, specifically trafficked women and children, and domestic workers. Voice of the Free is located in 20 provinces and cities with 11 offices.
Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing illegal businesses in the world today, with $32 billion in annual profits.
VF focuses on transport—the last point of visibility for victims and traffickers--catalyzing partnerships and pooling resourcesto protect victims.
Cecilia Flores-Oebanda seeks to embed VF's approach in the work of law enforcement, humanitarian, and service agencies
VF anti-trafficking strategies are now in force at eight major seaports and three airports, in partnership with 52 inter-island shippers, two airlines, and 2,000 bus companies.
A society where people are free, protected, and empowered to explore opportunities without the risk of slavery, exploitation, and abuse.
Empowering resilient young women and girls in strengthening youth and community movement for safer migration policies and culture.
Born into poverty in Visayas region of the Philippines, Cecilia Flores-Oebanda spent her childhood as a child laborer, selling fish and scavenging garbage in Bacolod City to help her family survive. As a young adult, Cecilia dedicated her life to the Church as a Catechist, and during that time she saw the affliction of her people under the tyranny of then President Marcos. Driven by a strong love for the poor, she joined the struggle for liberation and became one of its most respected leaders; the Marcos dictatorship long-sought her capture. After fighting as an insurgent, she was captured and became a political prisoner with her husband for four years, giving birth and raising her two children during that time. When the EDSA People Power Revolution finally achieved the democracy in 1986, Cecilia and her family were set free.
Migrating to Manila, she saw the marginalization of her fellow Visayan migrants and helped found the Visayan Forum Foundation (VFF) in 1991 to improve their plight. She has spent most of her life as a freedom fighter – working with the urban poor, peasants, sugar plantation workers, women, youth and children. Cecilia has been President of VFF since its inception in, and currently serves as a member of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) as an Appointee of the President of the Republic of the Philippines to represent the Women’s Sector. She is a globally recognized human rights advocate and expert on human trafficking, child labor, and domestic work. Her many honors and awards include:
VF is instrumental in the enactment of pioneering laws in the Philippines to promote decent work for domestic workers, to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, and to expand the provisions of the amended anti-trafficking law. Its founder was appointed by two Philippine presidents to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking‚ the highest policy government body‚ where she served for six years as a policy and implementation advisor representing the NGO sector. VF’s work with child domestic workers has been cited by the International Labour Organization International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor. VF transformed the lives of more than 30,000 victims and potential victims of trafficking by pioneering laws in the Philippines to promote decent work for domestic workers, eliminating the worst forms of child labor, and expanding the provisions of the amended anti-trafficking law. Following the 2013 CNN documentary The Fighters, VF launched a youth movement called iFight, through which 415,000 students and 650 schools were reached and organized to counter human trafficking and slavery.
I became a mother as I was leading the liberation movement in my home country of the Philippines. I hid in the mountains and the military ran an endless pursuit.…
