What is the Center of Hope?

The Center of Hope is a shelter operated by the nonprofit Voice of the Free, founded by Cecilia Oebanda-Pacis, that provides a safe haven and support for survivors of child sex trafficking in the Philippines.

How did Ave's story of being trafficked at age 9 inspire others?

Ave's harrowing experience of being lured from her family's farm to Manila and brutally exploited online and in person for five years until police intervention has motivated her to continue speaking out against child sex trafficking, with the goal of preventing more children from becoming victims.

What is Cecilia Oebanda-Pacis' background and how has it shaped her mission?

Cecilia Oebanda-Pacis, the founder of Voice of the Free, is the daughter of political dissidents who were imprisoned during the Marcos regime in the Philippines. Her own experience of being imprisoned and giving birth to two children while incarcerated has fueled her decades-long commitment to rescuing children from sex trafficking in her country.

Home / Crime and Justice / Survivor-Led Nonprofit Rescues Thousands of Trafficked Children in the Philippines

Survivor-Led Nonprofit Rescues Thousands of Trafficked Children in the Philippines

31 Oct, 2025

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Summary

Cecilia Oebanda-Pacis founded Voice of the Free in 1991 to help trafficked children
Nonprofit has rescued tens of thousands of girls from sex exploitation in the Philippines
Former resident Ave shares her harrowing story of being trafficked at age 9

Survivor-Led Nonprofit Rescues Thousands of Trafficked Children in the Philippines

In 2025, Cecilia Oebanda-Pacis, the founder and director of the nonprofit Voice of the Free, continues her decades-long mission to rescue children from sex trafficking in the Philippines. Oebanda-Pacis established the organization in 1991 after being approached by a mother whose daughter had gone missing in Manila.