Two Filipina Women Saved from Human Trafficking at Manila Airport

In a recent operation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3, immigration officials in Manila intercepted and rescued two Filipina women who were victims of human trafficking. The incident occurred on January 27 as the women attempted to board a flight to Malaysia under the guise of being tourists. Mary Jane Hizon, head of the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), disclosed that the women confessed during questioning that they had been recruited by an individual known only as ‘Madame’ to work as hotel cleaners in Malaysia while applying for work visas. The victims were subsequently handed over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to pursue legal action against the recruiter. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado highlighted the exploitation of the ‘tourist worker scheme’ by recruiters, where individuals are employed on tourist visas and often find themselves in precarious situations when unable to obtain work visas, leading to exploitation by employers. Viado urged potential overseas workers to be vigilant and avoid falling victim to such deceptive practices.