MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino woman has been hailed as an anti-trafficking hero in the US state department’s Trafficking in Persons Report-2008 released on June 4.

A US Embassy statement in Manila said Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director and president of the Visayan Forum Foundation, was among only 10 anti-trafficking advocates from around the world who were recognized in the report for exemplary efforts toward combating trafficking in persons.

“Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, a longtime advocate against trafficking and former political prisoner, continues to pave the road for NGO and government collaboration on anti-trafficking efforts in the Philippines and around the world,” the report read.

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