MANILA—The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in coordination with the Partnership for Development Assistance in the Philippines (PDAP) announced their latest funding opportunity for local projects designed to curb human or trafficking in person (TIP) in the country.
Dubbed as Strength Countering Trafficking in Person (Strength CTIP) Project, this two-year will hopefully strengthen local initiatives to organize and mobilize a critical mass of multi-sectoral coalitions and partnerships in to ensure more vigorous, sustained, multi-faceted, and self-reliant CTIP efforts leveraged by both public and private resources.
Mr. Eugene Gonzales, one of the organizers of the funding facility of USAID during a teleconference via Zoom apps in March with TIP stakeholders and interested parties due to the Covid-19 outbreak said the funding window has a maximum ceiling of P5 million. He said “applications will be accepted from Philippine private, for-profit and non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including private universities, research organizations, professional associations, faith-based and community organizations and other similar entities. Only one application will be accepted per legal entity/organization.”
This is not the first time that USAID through the PhiAm Funds has called for civil society organizations’ participation in the fight against TIP which is considered to be a form of modern day slavery. Based on the documents obtained by Sandigan News, the Strength CTIP Project would start in June 2020, barring delays caused by the extended enhanced community quarantine, and would end by June of 2022.
In October 2019, USAID signed a three-year cooperative agreement with the Partnership for Development Assistance in the Philippines (PDAP) to manage and implement the Strength CTIP Project. The project is part of the Locally Led Development Initiative of USAID which supports the Journey to Self-Reliance (JSR) agenda by empowering local stakeholders to take the lead in identifying and addressing development challenges in their respective communities.
Gonzales further said the Strength CTIP will support and implement local activities to address trafficking in persons (TIP) in the Philippines, which persists as a significant issue within the country even as approaches to combat it have evolved and broadened. While the Philippines has been ranked in Tier 1 for the fourth consecutive year in the 2019 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report for having met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, the report noted that, among others, there are still gaps in assistance services for trafficking victims.
Interested applicants should submit a Technical Application, and a Cost Application using their own forms which may be obtained from PDAP webpage and Facebook account
