A total of 206 overseas Filipino worker (OFW) applicants were rescued from illegal and substandard accommodation facilities in Manila and Imus, Cavite during simultaneous operations conducted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on June 6.
Of the total number rescued, 151 OFW applicants were found in facilities in Manila operated by Job Connections International Manpower Services Inc., TS Pizarro Manpower Services and Construction Incorporated, and AAV Talent Training and Management. Another 55 applicants were rescued from accommodation facilities in Imus, Cavite operated by Samantha Manpower Recruitment Agency, Inc. and Prime Goal International Manpower, Inc.
According to the DMW, the rescue operations were prompted by complaints that some recruitment agencies were allegedly detaining OFW applicants in accommodation facilities and demanding payments of up to ₱50,000 in exchange for their release.
The department also discovered that some applicants' passports and travel documents had been withheld.
Many of the rescued applicants said they had been waiting for deployment as domestic workers to the Middle East for six months to one year while staying in overcrowded, poorly ventilated, and unsanitary facilities. They also reported restricted movement, harassment, and unauthorized collection of fees.
During a press conference on June 7, held in Quezon City in observance of the 31st Migrant Workers Day, Cacdac ordered the filing of administrative and criminal charges against the agencies and individuals found responsible. The DMW is also investigating possible human trafficking violations.
The rescued OFW applicants were provided temporary shelter, emergency medical assistance, legal services, financial aid, and access to training, education, livelihood, and reintegration programs.
The DMW said the operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the local government of Imus, Cavite, and various DMW offices as part of the government's intensified campaign against illegal recruitment, trafficking, scams, and other forms of exploitation targeting OFWs.
Cacdac also thanked Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, for bringing the alleged exploitative conditions faced by OFW applicants to the department's attention. He likewise acknowledged the cooperation of Alex 'AA' Lacson Advincula during the rescue operation.
