Echoing voices of trafficked survivors: A Visayas situationer on child trafficking Children’s Legal Bureau I. Background of the organization Formed on May 28, 1997, the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) is a non-government organization incorporated and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Envisioning a just world for children, CLB has been implementing different projects and programs in Cebu and now in Negros Oriental and Iloilo provinces on child protection and rights advocacy for over twenty-four years of its existence. The organization is also committed to empowering children and communities while engaging with law enforcement, prosecution, rehabilitation, courts, local government units, and the private sector for the protection of rights and promotion of justice for children in the Visayas region.8 Since its inception, CLB has been at the forefront of the fight against child trafficking and other forms of abuse and exploitation of children in the region through its advocacy and training work, capacity building and network building efforts, and litigation services. In the past, CLB has implemented different child welfare and protection projects such as but not limited to the following: Rescue and Litigation Component as part of the Consortium Stop Abuse of Minors Association (SAMA) in partnership with Terre des Hommes (TDH) Netherlands (July 1997-July 2000); Empowering Communities in promoting justice for children through Development Legal Aid in partnership with TDH Netherlands (April 2002March 2006); Child’s Rights Protection Unit (CRPU) Cebu Project in partnership with Consuelo Foundation (October 2002-December 2013); Anti-Children and Women Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation as part of the Consortium Against Trafficking of Children and Women in Sexual Exploitation (CATCHWISE) in partnership with Karl Kubel Stiftung (KKS) and European Union (EU) (May 2003-April 2006); Organizing the Five Pillars of Justice for the Promotion of Children’s Rights with TDH Netherlands (July 2006-August 2011); Improvement of Prosecution of Child Sex Tourism Cases in Cebu in partnership with TDH (September 2007August 2011); and Joint Project of Organizing the Five Pillars and Child Sex Tourism in partnership with TDH (October 2011-September 2014). CLB has been active in providing interventions against trafficking in persons (TIP) throughout the years. Among the direct services provided by the organization are: 1) legal services, which include legal advice, investigation and validation of suspected incidents of trafficking, rescue of trafficking survivors in coordination with law enforcement, agencies preparation of legal documents, and the eventual handling and prosecution of trafficking cases with the 8 VMG, Values, and Target Beneficiaries. Children’s Legal Bureau. Available at: http://clb.org.ph/targetgroups-and-beneficiaries/ 37