Cebu – Over the past 30 years, the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven , a religious community of nuns founded in 1996 in the Archdiocese of Cebu, have rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of women and girls who survived sex trafficking, prostitution and child abuse.Sister Corazon J. Salazar, founder and Mother General of the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven, together with six other nuns, established the community to respond to one of the most tragic consequences of poverty in the Philippines: the sexual exploitation and trafficking of young girls. Through their apostolate of mercy and compassion, the nuns are committed to restoring dignity, hope and a future to girls and young women who have suffered abuse and exploitation.Their mission has two main dimensions. First, they rescue girls and young women, from the age of eight onwards, from prostitution and human trafficking, offering them a safe home, care and loving attention. Second, they provide educational assistance to survivors and to children from impoverished rural communities, helping them break the cycle of poverty through education and training.During a recent visit to the “House of Love”, one of their facilities, Archbishop Alberto S. Uy of Cebu said: “Seeing the ministry of the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven firsthand deeply moved me. This is a work that gives life.”“It is a beautiful and urgently needed apostolate that deserves our support. They are still working to complete their facility, which is essential to expanding their mission of caring for vulnerable children and young women. I encourage anyone who is able to contribute to become a partner in this mission of hope,” he said.The Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven run the “House of Love” in Tuburan, near Cebu, for the rehabilitation of survivors of prostitution and women and girls who have fallen victim to sex trafficking. Nearby, they operate the “My Bonita Girls’ Home” in Purok, in the municipality of San Jose, which assists minors who have suffered abuse.“Many women have taken part in rehabilitation and employment programmes and are now reintegrated into society,” said Sister Corazon J. Salazar, Mother General of the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven. Both centres offer rehabilitation and counseling programmes, education and vocational training to prepare survivors for reintegration into society.The program also includes the “Regina Coeli Education Assistance Program”, aimed at supporting people living in poverty in rural areas and protecting them from illegal recruiters who operate in their communities, promising fictitious jobs in order to deceive parents and persuade them to send their children away with them.In the central Philippines, particularly in the Central Visayas region and the Cebu metropolitan area, human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and minors constitute a critical emergency. In recent years, the phenomenon has undergone a profound transformation, progressively shifting from physical locations to digital platforms.Cebu province has historically been considered a critical area, serving simultaneously as a point of origin, transit and destination for victims of domestic and international trafficking, due to strong tourist flows and poverty in the surrounding rural areas.According to estimates by major international organiZations, between 60,000 and 100,000 children in the Philippines are forced into prostitution or sex trafficking every year. According to the Philippine Department of Justice, sexual exploitation is the most widespread form of trafficking. Among identified victims nationwide, women and girls account for the overwhelming majority of cases. At the national level, more than 70% of trafficking convictions are specifically linked to commercial sexual exploitation.
