This paper is based on my research on trafficking in persons in the Philippines. It focuses on how anthropology and its associated methods can play a role in combatting trafficking in persons. Data for this presentation came from my various field research projects on trafficking in persons (TIP). Trafficking happens due to a number of factors including lack of knowledge, community influence, poverty, among others. In order to address trafficking in persons, there is a need for a a careful examination of the phenomenon to better understand how such factors sustain vulnerabilities. There are also cultural factors that predisposed individuals to trafficking despite its dangers and negative consequences. Migration including trafficking must be understood at the family and community level and must also take into account how culture can make people more vulnerable. We conducted interviews with a wide range of stakeholders focused on labour migration and trafficking in the Philippines, in Metro Manila and Zamboanga. As the country’s national capital region, Metro Manila, comprising Manila and Quezon City is the most popular exit or transit point for migrant workers, which also makes it a key hub for labour trafficking. Zamboanga was selected as a second location, as it is recognized as the ‘back door’ exit point, for those unable to depart from Manila, or other international airports. From Zamboanga, there are many routes to Sabah, with varying levels of vulnerabilities. Interviews were also conducted in Tawi Tawi, one of the island nodes along the ‘back door’ route. The constant push of the government for people to work overseas and naming migrant workers as modern day heroes somehow make migration something structural and institutional. Another social driver of labour migration is the family. Migrating overseas for employment is viewed as a self-sacrifice, seen as ‘a product of reciprocal and relational exchanges.