By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday repatriated 176 Filipinos who are alleged victims of human trafficking from illegal scam centers in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
The group, which flew on a special flight from Bangkok, Thailand, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 5:40 a.m.
This repatriation comes after the arrival of 30 other Filipino human trafficking victims from Myanmar via Thailand on Tuesday.
“The Philippine government is unwavering in its commitment to protecting Filipinos abroad,” the DFA said in a statement.
“This successful operation reaffirms the country as the gold standard in migration protection mechanisms, ensuring that overseas Filipinos —particularly those identified as alleged victims of human trafficking— receive the prompt support and assistance needed,” it added.
The DFA said this repatriation comes after the week-long shuttle visit of DFA Migration Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega to Myanmar and Thailand.
Representations yielded the prompt actions of Myanmar and Thai authorities for the Filipino trafficking victims to safely cross from Myawaddy to Mae Sot, Thailand, on March 24 and 25, and get transported to the airport in Bangkok for flights to Manila on the same day.
Prior to the flights, Rapid Response Teams were positioned on the ground in Myawaddy, Mae Sot, and Bangkok, with DFA officials at the helm and the participation of key personnel from the Philippine Embassies in Yangon, and Bangkok together with the overseas resident officials of attached agencies from the Department of National Defense (Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attache), Philippine National Police (Office of the Police Attache), and the Department of Migrant Workers (Migrant Workers Office) under the One-Country-Team Approach (OCTA).
The latest PAL special flight also had a Rapid Response Team on board composed of DFA and OWWA officials and personnel to assist the 176 repatriates, the DFA said.
Meanwhile, the DFA reiterated its advice to all Filipinos to pass through the proper deployment procedures of the concerned government agencies, such as DMW, before leaving the country for overseas employment.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), meanwhile, assured that the rescued Filipinos would be provided with psychosocial interventions and other assistance to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into their families and communities.
“Ang role ng DSWD ay rehabilitation and reintegration. May package of services naman (from different agencies), pero whole-of-government approach. The DSWD will step in, kasama namin ang Department of Health (DOH) in making sure na nade-debrief nang maayos (The role of the DSWD is rehabilitation and reintegration. There is a package of services from different agencies but it’s a whole-of-government approach. The DSWD will step in, together with the DOH, in making sure that they will be properly de-briefed)” Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a statement.
He said the agency’s ultimate goal is to return the repatriates to their families and reintegrate them into their communities while ensuring that they receive the appropriate interventions to lessen their emotional and mental distress.
Aside from psychosocial services, the DSWD will also provide financial assistance to help them start anew.
Gatchalian added that while the DMW is providing the initial accommodations of the repatriates, the DSWD is ready to provide temporary shelter for those who may not yet be prepared to be reintegrated immediately. (with a report from Cielito Reganit/PNA)
