MANILA, Jan 1 (Bernama-PNA) -- Thirty-five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were safely repatriated from Cambodia on Wednesday, in time for the New Year, after being assisted by the Philippine government amid cases of illegal recruitment, human trafficking and scam hub operations.
The Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), in a news release on Thursday, said that 34 of the returnees were identified as human trafficking victims, while one OFW was sent home after completing a prison sentence for a money laundering-related offence.
“Their safe repatriation was achieved through the coordinated efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in Singapore and Thailand under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas whole-of-government principle,” the DMW said.
The group arrived in three batches at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) via both transit and direct flights from Phnom Penh.
The DMW, meanwhile, renewed its call on Filipinos to remain vigilant against fraudulent overseas job offers, particularly those circulating on social media platforms.
It advised Filipino workers seeking jobs overseas to verify that overseas employment opportunities are legitimate, approved and registered with the DMW before acceptance.
-- BERNAMA-PNA
