Gov’t repatriates Filipino human trafficking victims in Myanmar

RESCUED OFWs. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) welcomes 30 Filipino human trafficking victims from Myanmar at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Tuesday (March 25, 2025). The DMW said another batch of 176 overseas Filipino workers is set to arrive on Wednesday. (Photo: Department of Migrant Workers/Facebook)

By Marita Moaje, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – A total of 30 Filipino victims of human trafficking in Myanmar arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Tuesday after they were successfully repatriated by the Philippine government.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said the victims arrived aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 0733 through the joint efforts of the Philippine Embassy, Office of the Police Attaché, and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Bangkok.

Aside from the DMW, a whole-of-government team, including representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Bureau of Immigration, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, and the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking, welcomed the victims upon arrival.

They were provided with immediate assistance, including psychosocial services, financial aid, and legal aid.

They were referred to DMW’s reintegration programs and upskilling training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to help them rebuild their lives.

They also received PHP50,000 from the DMW’s Aksyon Fund and PHP10,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“Aside from financial assistance, and isa pa sa pinakamahalaga ay ang legal assistance na ibibigay natin sa kanila (we are also giving one of the most important assistances we can give them, which is legal assistance),” DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said in a media release.

Meanwhile, the DMW said another batch of 176 Filipino trafficking victims is expected to arrive in the country on Wednesday via a chartered flight.

The victims were recruited through WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram, and were lured with fake job offers as customer sales representatives in Myanmar.

However, the victims said they were forced to work as online scammers, often under abusive and exploitative conditions.

Olalia, meanwhile, thanked the DFA for its rescue operations and assistance to the Filipino victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

The DMW also advised Filipinos to be wary of fraudulent online job offers, particularly those linked to cryptocurrency scams and “pig-butchering” schemes, where victims are deceived into financial fraud.

The department urged job seekers to verify employment offers and recruitment agencies through its official website (https://dmw.gov.ph/) and report suspicious recruitment activities to the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau via hotline +63 2 8721-0619.