DFA working to repatriate distressed Filipinos in Myanmar

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is working to repatriate more distressed Filipinos in Myanmar, some of whom were forced to work in online scamming operations. (File Photo By Patrick Roque, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is working to repatriate more distressed Filipinos in Myanmar, some of whom were forced to work in online scamming operations.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said most of the victims entered as tourists and were promised jobs in Thailand but were eventually brought to the border in Myawaddy.

At present, there are some 50 Filipino nationals estimated to be working in illegal scamming in Myanmar, about a dozen of whom asked for repatriation.

“Nakapag-repatriate na tayo ng lagpas 150, mayroon pang mga 50 or 30 siguro so naghahanap pa tayo ng paraan na maiuwi sila (We have repatriated over 150 and there are about 50 or 30 more so we are finding ways to bring them home),” he said in a Laging Handa briefing Thursday.

At the end of the month, de Vega will travel to Myanmar to meet with local authorities to discuss efforts to bring home the distressed nationals.

He said coordination between the Philippine Embassy in Yangon and with the Myanmar authorities also continuous.

Downgrading alert level

During his visit, de Vega would also assess the situation for documented Filipinos working legally in Yangon and other parts of the country for the possible downgrading of alert level there.

The DFA, he said, would come up with a recommendation to possibly lower it from 4 (mandatory evacuation/repatriation) to 2 or restriction phase based on the outcome of the trip.

“‘Yong (Filipinos) sa Yangon, from the beginning may contract at may working visa sila, so puwedeng ma-lift ‘yong alert level para sa kanila (The OFWs in Yangon, from the beginning they have a contract and a Myanmar work visa, so we can look into lifting the alert level for them),” he added.

Once alert level 2 is declared, de Vega said no new deployment would be authorized but existing Filipino workers would be allowed to return to the Philippines and travel back to Myanmar for their work.

“New deployment hindi puwede pa dahil may gulo pa sa bansa, may illegal trafficking pa siyempre ang policy natin is protection (is not yet allowed since there is still unrest in the country, there is also the illegal trafficking, of course our policy first and foremost is protection),” he said.