An enthusiastic crowd watches the MTV Exit concert in Manila

MTV Launches Philippine Campaign to Fight Human Trafficking

Monday, June 15, 2009

MANILA (May 18) – MTV and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced a nationwide campaign to fight human trafficking.  The drive starts with a free “MTV EXIT Live in Manila” concert at 6 p.m. May 22 at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.  

“MTV EXIT Live in Manila” will feature performances by the Philippines’ top home-grown artists including Christian Baustista, Gary Valenciano, Bamboo, Pochoy Labog, Sponge Cola, Kjwan, Callalily, Pupil, Duster, Kitchie Nadal, Rico Blanco, Itchyworms, Kamikazee and Parokya ni Edgar.

All have committed their support to fight human trafficking by taking part in the concert.  The show will be hosted by MTV VJ Kat Alano and actor Epi Quizon.  Baustista narrated the anti-trafficking documentary “EXIT: An MTV Special” and is the MTV EXIT campaign’s ambassador in the Philippines.

To support the concert and the campaign, a group of anti-trafficking organizations headed by the Visayan Forum Foundation will march from Roxas Boulevard to the concert grounds beginning at 2 p.m.  Anti-trafficking groups will distribute leaflets about human trafficking and its prevention to concert goers.

Estimates vary about the scope and magnitude of modern-day slavery.  The latest U.S. Government studies indicate that somewhere between 4 million and 27 million people are believed to be in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor and sexual servitude at any given time.  Approximately 80 percent of transnational victims are women and girls, and up to 50 percent are minors.  Victims are often children, young women and men – MTV’s demographic – who simply want a better life.

“The power and influence of music is a great force for change.  By holding this concert tour across the Philippines, we are harnessing this power; using it to inform and mobilize young people in the fight against trafficking,” said Simon Goff, Director of the MTV EXIT campaign.

Efforts to stop human trafficking have been hampered by the public's lack of awareness about the severity of this problem, said Olivier Carduner, USAID’s Regional Mission Director for Asia.  "USAID is funding this project with MTV because of the unique opportunity that MTV provides to reach millions of people through broadcasts," Carduner said, adding that raising awareness will encourage communities to promote the law enforcement and victim outreach efforts needed to stop this form of modern-day slavery.

This concert will be broadcast on MTV Philippines.  It will include additional information about human trafficking.  MTV Philippines and the MTV EXIT campaign are organizing the concerts and TV broadcasts, which are being produced by the MTV Europe Foundation in partnership with USAID.

Information about obtaining free tickets will be posted at www.mtvphil.com.

All MTV EXIT television programming is produced rights-free and is available free of charge to all broadcasters and organizations. 

FURTHER READING

• MTV Launches Philippine Campaign to Fight Human Trafficking (51 KB PDF)

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