22 trafficked Filipinos return home from Cambodia

National

A GROUP of Filipinos who were victims of human trafficking in Cambodia have been repatriated, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.

The 22 Filpinos arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Wednesday night, June 10, from Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport. They were accompanied by DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Bay and were welcomed at the terminal by DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara, along with staff from the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking.

The DMW said the repatriates underwent medical checks upon arrival. OWWA arranged temporary transportation and accommodation, while the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking will provide legal support as the victims begin recovery and reintegration programs.

“The successful repatriation was made possible through coordinated efforts by the DMW Rapid Response Team in Cambodia, the Migrant Workers Office in Singapore, and the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh,” the DMW said in a Philstar report.

The DMW added that t the operation underscores the government’s commitment to bring distressed Filipinos home and support their rehabilitation.(Jane Michelle Buenaventura, PIT Comm Intern)