The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has arranged a chartered flight to bring home nearly 200 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were identified as human trafficking victims in Cambodia, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize the safety of distressed migrant workers.
A total of 191 repatriates are expected to arrive in Manila on February 5, 2026, aboard Philippine Airlines Flight No. 2P9222. The group is composed of Filipinos rescued from different areas in Cambodia, including 169 from Phnom Penh, 13 from Pailin, three from Koh Kong, two from Mondulkiri, three from Svay Rieng, and one from Siem Reap.
The returning OFWs are being accompanied by DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi, who is leading the DMW Rapid Response Team tasked with assisting Filipinos facing abusive conditions overseas.
The repatriation effort was coordinated through the DMW Migrant Workers Office in Singapore and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), with support from the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh headed by Ambassador Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo.
With the latest batch, the government said the total number of OFWs repatriated from Cambodia since 2022 has reached 877.
Upon arrival, the repatriates will receive coordinated assistance from multiple agencies, including financial and welfare support from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), medical services from the Department of Health (DOH), psychosocial care from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and legal assistance from the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) Task Force.
Following the operation, the DMW renewed its warning to Filipinos seeking overseas employment, cautioning that illegal recruitment syndicates continue to operate both online and in person using deceptive offers that lead to abusive work situations.
The agency said many of the repatriated trafficking victims were recruited through fraudulent job advertisements posted online, often promising high salaries but eventually placing applicants in exploitative and abusive working environments.
As a member of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, the DMW said it remains in close coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the DFA to strengthen safeguards for overseas Filipinos.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdad urged jobseekers to treat offers not processed through official government channels as a major warning sign.
“Matagal na tayong nagpapaalala laban sa illegal recruitment, kasama ang IACAT. Ang paalala natin ay simple lang: kapag hindi dumaan sa DMW, iyan ang numero unong red flag. Ibig sabihin, walang lisensyadong ahensya, o kahit yung taong kausap mo ay puro Telegram, Facebook, o social media—malinaw na scam iyan,” sabi ni Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdad.
He also advised the public to verify recruitment agencies and ensure job orders are approved by the DMW, warning that job offers on social media that appear “too good to be true” are often linked to cyberfraud operations expanding across Southeast Asia.
