By Sr Christine Masivo, CPS
For 30 years, the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven have helped women who have been sexually exploited or trafficked by offering them shelter, counseling, education, and vocational training to help victims rebuild their lives and restore their dignity.
Mission of mercy and compassion
Sr Corazon J. Salazar, founder and Mother General of the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven, established the community together with six other nuns in 1996 in response to the growing sexual exploitation and trafficking of the vulnerable girls and young women living in poverty in the Philippines.
Through their apostolate, the sisters focus on rebuilding hope and a future for the survivors of abuse and exploitation. The mission is to rescue girls and young women, some as young as eight, from prostitution and human trafficking, offering them a safe home, care, and loving attention. The community also provides educational assistance to victims and to children from impoverished rural communities so as to break the cycle of poverty.
The sisters provide the girls a safe environment, care, and support as they regain their confidence and become self-reliant.
Healing and new beginnings
The community runs ‘House of Love’ in Tuburan, near Cebu, that offers rehabilitation and support for victims of prostitution and sex trafficking. The Vatican’s Fides news agency reported that Archbishop Alberto S. Uy of Cebu, on his recent visit to the house, said, “Seeing the ministry of the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven firsthand deeply moved me. This is a work that gives life.” He expressed his support for the ministry while calling for greater assistance to help the congregation complete its facilities and expand its care for vulnerable children and young women.
Another center run by the sisters is the ‘My Bonita Girls’ Home’ in Purok, in the municipality of San Jose, which assists minors who have suffered abuse.
These two centers provide rehabilitation and counseling, education, and vocational training to help survivors reintegrate into society.
Sr Corazon said that many women who have participated in this program have already been reintegrated into society and they are examples of how important long-term support is.
Education shield against trafficking
The sisters’ mission in curbing human trafficking and prostitution is focused on addressing the main cause of these social issues—poverty.
The ‘Regina Coeli Education Assistance Program’ supports children and families living in impoverished rural communities through education training. It aims to protect young people from illegal recruiters who operate in their communities, promising fictitious jobs in order to deceive parents and persuade them to send their children away.
The problem has evolved in the recent years, increasingly moving from physical locations to digital platforms.
Home for all
Cebu has always served as a place of origin, transit, and destination for trafficking victims, influenced by poverty in rural areas and strong tourist activity. International estimates indicate that 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.
For the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven, the response goes beyond rescuing victims. Through shelter, healing, education, and employment opportunities, the sisters seek to give survivors the tools to rebuild their lives and to help vulnerable communities prevent exploitation before it happens. – Vatican News
