DMW, PH Embassy working to rescue 78 Pinoys in Myanmar scam hubs

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Monday said it is coordinating with the Philippine Embassy in Myanmar to rescue 78 Filipinos who were recruited to work in scam hubs.

During a press conference, DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Bay said the Philippine government is still awaiting clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Myanmar before repatriating the detained Filipinos.

“As soon as we have secured the clearance and we are allowed, of course, the proper protocol and the proper documentation, then our team in Bangkok will visit our kababayans who are held in detention in Myanmar,” Bay said.

DMW repatriated 839 Filipinos from Myanmar in 2025, of which 690 received welfare assistance.

DMW has been monitoring online postings of package tours and job opportunities supposedly in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar after more than 200 Filipinos in Myanmar sought the government’s assistance for repatriation.

Authorities have also taken down at least 17,000 posts related to illegal recruitment and fake job opportunities on social media platforms.

Parts of Southeast Asia, including border areas between Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia, as well as Laos, have become hubs for online fraud in recent years, generating billions of dollars annually. Traffickers in the past few years have targeted Filipinos and other nationals in the region for forced labor in these hubs. — BM, GMA Integrated News