Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega. (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has issued a warning to Filipinos to remain vigilant against human trafficking schemes disguised as overseas job opportunities that appear “too good to be true.”
This alert follows the repatriation of 206 Filipino nationals who were rescued from scam operations in Myanmar earlier this week.
“Especially in Southeast Asia, you cannot legally work without a proper work visa,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega emphasized in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon. “If someone tells you that you can just show up for a job without any documentation, it’s a clear red flag. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
De Vega, who played a key role in coordinating the return of the affected individuals, said the repatriates flew back to the Philippines via Thailand on two separate flights on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The DFA, along with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), is providing reintegration support to the returnees. Each individual will receive PHP50,000 in financial aid from the DMW, in addition to the USD200 previously extended by the DFA while they were in Thailand.
According to De Vega, the victims were able to return home after the Myanmar government, in collaboration with Thailand and China, intensified its crackdown on illegal scam hubs operating in the region.
“With these scam operations being shut down in Myanmar, we expect a decline in trafficking cases there. However, there’s a high possibility that these syndicates will simply relocate to other countries, possibly in Africa,” he said.
De Vega urged Filipinos to stay alert and not fall for suspicious overseas job offers. “If a job contract hasn’t been verified by the DMW and the offer lacks a valid work visa, you are at risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking,” he warned.