PH GOV’T SUCCESSFULLY REPATRIATES 176 MORE FILIPINOS FROM MYANMAR SCAM HUBS

IN compliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to assist Filipinos in distress and ensure their welfare and safety, the Philippine government has successfully repatriated 176 Filipino human trafficking victims from Myanmar.

The victims arrived today, March 26, 2025 at NAIA Terminal 1 in Pasay City via a government-chartered flight through the joint efforts of the Philippine Embassy, Office of the Police Attaché, and Migrant Workers Office in Bangkok.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, who led the welcoming of the victims, along with Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado, and other senior officials from various government agencies.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa napakahusay na pagsagip at sa ligtas na pag-uwi, nagpapasalamat kami sa partner naming mga ahensiya. Ayon sa ating Presidente Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., ay tulungan ang OFWs in distress. Mayroon kayong financial assistance sa Pangulo at Kongreso. Katuwang ang Department of Justice (DOJ) para sa pag-sugpo ng illegal recruitment. Hindi ito hihinto kung hindi ito nasusugpo. Kami ay magtatrabaho ng husto upang masugpo ang human trafficking,” Cacdac said.

Each victim also received P50,000 in financial assistance from the DMW’s AKSYON Fund and P10,000 from OWWA, aside from the immediate medical and psychosocial services from the Department of Health (DoH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The DMW will also provide legal assistance to the victims in addition to the reintegration support and upskilling trainings through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Justice Undersecretary Ty, meanwhile, expressed their appreciation to all government agencies, including their counterparts in Thailand, who assisted in helping the trafficking victims return to the Philippines.

“Maraming salamat sa nagtulong-tulong, isa na dyan ang Thailand, Embahada sa Thailand, DFA, DMW, at iba pang agencies upang maibalik kayo sa inyong buhay. Sana kung komportable na kayo ay tumulong kayo sa imbestigasyon. Iimbitahin kayo ng DMW at mga kasamahan sa law enforcement; huwag matakot sabihin niyo kung sino ang nambiktima sa inyo. Lahat ng aspeto ay tinitignan,” said Ty to the repatriated victims.

Cacdac also highlighted the importance of having the newly-established Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Bangkok, Thailand, which was instrumental in assisting the victims in their repatriation, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy, and the Office of the Police Attaché.

The government has recently repatriated a total of 206 Filipino victims from the scamming hubs in Myanmar, and another 59 are expected to return home soon.

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

It was also reported that the trafficking victims usually use the backdoor pathways from Zamboanga going to Sabah or travel through third-country schemes from ASEAN countries, which do not require travel visas for Filipinos to enter.

The DMW strongly advises OFWs and job seekers to use DMW-verified recruitment agencies and to be wary of indications of illegal recruitment such as online job postings, especially those who promise high salaries with no contracts, no work permits, or visas.

The whole-of-government team that secured the return of the victims are the DFA, DMW, OWWA, DOH, DSWD, BI, DOJ, and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.