30 FILIPINO VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN MYANMAR COME HOME

THIRTY Filipino victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking in Myanmar were safely repatriated by the Philippine government and are now being assisted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for all the necessary assistance and support they need.

The victims safely arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Tuesday via PAL PR 0733 through the joint efforts of the Philippine Embassy, Office of the Police Attaché, and Migrant Workers Office in Bangkok.

Upon their arrival, the victims were given immediate assistance, including psychosocial services, financial aid, and legal aid from a whole-of-government team composed of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the DMW, the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Department of Justice (DoJ), and the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking (NAIA-TFAT).

Each victim also received P50,000 in financial assistance from the DMW’s AKSYON Fund and P10,000 from OWWA.

“Aside from financial assistance, and isa pa sa pinakamahalaga ay ang legal assistance na ibibigay natin sa kanila,” said DMW Undersecretary Olalia, who led the welcoming of the repatriates, along with DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega.

All of them will also be referred to DMW’s reintegration programs and upskilling training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help them rebuild their lives.

The DMW is also ready to welcome and assist the additional 176 Filipino victims who are expected to arrive today, March 26, on a chartered flight.

Undersecretary Olalia, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the DFA for its rescue operations and assistance to the Filipino victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking and their continued investigation on the syndicates behind the POGO scam hubs, with the support of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), DoJ, and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The victims were recruited through WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram as customer sales representatives in Myanmar, only to be exploited to work as online scammers.

The DMW strongly advises OFWs and job seekers to remain vigilant against fraudulent job offers on social media, particularly cryptocurrency and love scams, known as “pig-butchering scams.”

Also, the public is urged to exercise caution against fraudulent job offers on social media by verifying the legitimacy of recruitment agencies or job orders through the DMW website (https://dmw.gov.ph/), and by reporting illegal recruitment activities through the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau’s official channels and hotline number +63 2 8721-0619.