Metro Manila, Philippines – Four Filipinos bound for Myanmar, suspected to be victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking, were intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The four women, aged 22, 25, 27, and 41, initially claimed they were co-workers travelling to Thailand for a five-day company-sponsored incentive trip, but later admitted in a secondary inspection that their actual destination was Myanmar for overseas employment.
They said their recruiters promised them customer service jobs in Myanmar paying between US$1,000 and US$1,500 per month.
The immigration bureau said the four were recruited through online platforms, such as Facebook and Telegram, with their recruiters allegedly providing the questionable travel and employment-related documents, including return-ticket arrangements.
After the assessment, the four passengers were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for appropriate assistance, further assessment, and other necessary interventions.
The BI reminded the public to verify overseas job offers only through legitimate channels and to exercise caution when dealing with recruiters through social media and messaging platforms.
