Thirty-seven aspiring overseas Filipino workers were found crammed into an undeclared two-storey apartment when labor authorities moved in on Samantha Manpower Recruitment Agency Inc., uncovering living conditions that regulators described as unsafe and degrading.
The Department of Migrant Workers ordered the agency’s accommodation sites in Pasay City and Imus, Cavite shut down on June 6, 2026. The closure followed an inquiry by the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau, which acted on a complaint brought forward by four OFWs through the television program Raffy Tulfo in Action.
Inspectors reported that the apartment housing the applicants was dim, cramped, dirty, and infested with insects, with only a single toilet serving everyone on site. Several of those staying there had been waiting for deployment for some time and felt they had no choice but to remain despite the conditions.
The agency’s problems extend beyond the state of the building. Its license had already lapsed on May 13, 2026, and the apartment itself carried no registration or authorization to operate as an accommodation facility.
Authorities have flagged the case through the DMW Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons Program. The department is now preparing charges that include running an unauthorized accommodation facility and breaching welfare standards set for OFWs.
The affected workers were referred to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which is providing temporary shelter, meals, and other assistance while their situations are sorted out.
