A total of 30 Filipino victims of human trafficking in Myanmar arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on Tuesday after a successful repatriation operation by the Philippine government.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the victims returned 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.
Government agencies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Bureau of Immigration, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking, welcomed the victims upon arrival.
The returnees were given immediate assistance, including psychosocial services, financial aid, and legal assistance. They were also referred to reintegration programs and upskilling training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help them rebuild their lives.
Each victim received PHP50,000 from the DMW’s Aksyon Fund and an additional PHP10,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
“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 stated.
Meanwhile, the DMW confirmed that another batch of 176 Filipino trafficking victims is set to arrive in the country on Wednesday via a chartered flight.
The victims had been recruited through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram, lured by fake job offers as customer sales representatives in Myanmar. However, upon arrival, they were forced to work as online scammers under abusive and exploitative conditions.
Olalia expressed gratitude to the DFA for its efforts in rescuing and assisting the victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
The DMW also warned Filipinos to remain cautious of fraudulent online job offers, particularly those linked to cryptocurrency scams and “pig-butchering” schemes, which trick individuals into financial fraud.