Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it stopped two women hired to become surrogate mothers in China from leaving the Philippines.
In a statement, the BI said former overseas Filipino workers “Ria,” 32, and “Ellie,” 28, confessed to being recruited to become surrogate mothers for ₱300,000 each. They were intercepted at the immigration departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
Quoting the two, the BI said the women needed money to support their families.
BI travel control and enforcement unit chief Erwin Ortañez said the two were recruited through a website that offers money to women who are willing to bear a child for others.
BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said they prevented the two from leaving because the surrogacy arrangement “exploits women whose wombs are treated as commodities to meet the reproductive needs of rich people who are unable to bear a child.”
“We do not want the Philippines to be the next hub for this ‘womb for rent’ business,” Medina said. “It exploits the vulnerability of our women, who, out of poverty and desperation agrees to such arrangements.”
In 2017, the BI also intercepted four women who were hired to be surrogate mothers in Cambodia in exchange for a ₱500,000 fee.
