US honors migrant workers' advocate Susan Ople for anti-human trafficking efforts

Maria Susana "Toots" Ople, an advocate of the rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), was recently honored by the United States government for her contributions to stop human trafficking. Ople was one of those who received the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) heroes award for 2013 from US Secretary of State John Kerry in a ceremony at the US State Department in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.  The awards were handed out alongside the release of the 2013 TIP report, which ranks countries according to their efforts to fight human trafficking. Ople is the head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, an organization that advocates labor and migration issues, particularly in fighting human trafficking. The center is named for Ople's late father, who held high-ranking positions in the Philippine government, such as the posts of Senate president, Labor Secretary, and Foreign Affairs Secretary. On her Facebook account, she thanked her father for being an inspiration to her and said the award was her Father’s Day gift. "Best Father's Day gift I can think of for Amang -- being named by the US State Department as Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Hero Awardee for 2013," Ople posted Thursday on her Facebook account. "Wouldn't have been able to do the things I do without his inspiration and your friendship and support. Salamat sa lahat!" she continued. A "nanay" United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas also congratulated Ople, and called her a "nanay" for her advocacy. "Her strong advocacy for the welfare of OFWs has made her a 'nanay' in the truest spirit of the word," Thomas said in a statement released by the US Embassy. Among other stints, Ople has worked as a consultant for the International Labor Organization and has also served for the Department of Foreign Affairs. She has a weekly column in several publications, and also hosts two radio programs that are focused on distressed OFWs. According to the US Embassy statement, when Ople received the award, she said, "Human slavery affects everyone, not just the victims, because its very existence reminds us that not all are created equal."  Ople also acknowledged the importance of the TIP report. “I know other governments say that they would fight trafficking anyway and regardless, but the TIP report keeps everyone honest, keeps everyone focused on human slavery and sets the benchmarks that help advocates like us all over the world push for greater action,” she said. “The report reminds us that we are not alone and human slavery can only be abolished if all countries unite behind this cause,” Ople continued. - Gian C. Geronimo, VVP, GMA News