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AN ADDITIONAL 176 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), victims of human trafficking in Myanmar, arrived in Manila on Wednesday morning, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.

The victims arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City aboard a government-chartered flight through the coordinated efforts of the Philippine Embassy, Office of the Police Attaché, and the Migrant Workers Office in Bangkok.

Each victim received P50,000 in financial assistance from the DMW AKSYON Fund and P10,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Immediate medical and psychosocial services were also provided by the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Additionally, the DMW will offer legal assistance and reintegration support, including upskilling programs through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, to help victims reintegrate into society.

The government recently repatriated a total of 206 Filipino victims from Myanmar’s scamming hubs, with 59 more expected to return soon.

Many of the victims were recruited through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram under the guise of customer service roles, only to be forced into online scams.

Authorities reported that traffickers often use backdoor routes from Zamboanga to Sabah or third-country entry schemes in Southeast Asian nations, where Filipinos can enter without a visa. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana