THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is working to repatriate 78 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were illegally recruited to work in cyber scam hubs in Myanmar.
In a press briefing, DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Bay said the department is coordinating with its counterparts in Myanmar regarding the OFWs’ repatriation.
“We have cooperative measures with our Philippine Embassy in Yangon. We have cooperative measures in terms of their protection and eventual repatriation,” Bay said.
“As soon as we have secured clearance and are allowed, our team in Bangkok will visit our kababayans who are being held in detention in Myanmar,” she added.
Overall, Bay said the DMW has repatriated 839 OFWs deployed to scam hubs since 2025.
“We have provided welfare assistance in the form of food aid, medical care, hospitalization, hygiene kits, basic necessities such as clothing and medicines, and we also paid their immigration penalty fees,” she said.
Given the high number of illegally recruited OFWs in cyber scam hubs in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, the department is planning to raise the matter in forthcoming talks within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the DMW intends to initiate discussions on human trafficking linked to cyber scam operations in the three Asean member states.
“I think this matter will be touched upon, ensuring that our workers deployed in Asean member states have been recruited and deployed in accordance with the laws of both the sending and receiving states,” Cacdac said.
“We will not necessarily focus or center the discussions on the scam hubs, but this could very well be discussed,” he added.
Cacdac said the Philippines, as the current chair of the regional bloc, will anchor the discussions on the implementation of the Asean Convention Against Trafficking in Persons.
“It is a legally binding and existing document. The Philippines spearheaded both the formulation and adoption of this convention,” he said. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)