MANILA, Philippines – An additional 176 Filipinos who were allegedly trafficked to illegal scam centers in Myanmar were brought home Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

“This operation underscores our commitment to protecting our overseas Filipinos, especially those who have fallen victim to human trafficking,” DFA Migration Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo José A. de Vega said in DFA report.

A special flight carrying 176 repatriates from Bangkok, Thailand, arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 5:40 AM on March 26. The operation followed the repatriation of 30 other trafficking victims a day earlier, bringing the total to 206.

The returning Filipinos were received at NAIA by officials from the DFA and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), composed of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Bureau of Immigration (BI). The mission was supported by Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNCI).

According to De Vega, the repatriation was the result of diplomatic efforts with Myanmar and Thai authorities.

“Through coordinated actions, we were able to ensure the safe passage of these Filipinos from Myawaddy, Myanmar, to Mae Sot, Thailand, where they were immediately transported to Bangkok for their flight home,” he said.

To facilitate the process, Rapid Response Teams were stationed in key locations, including Myawaddy, Mae Sot, and Bangkok. DFA officials, along with personnel from Philippine embassies in Yangon and Bangkok, as well as representatives from the Department of National Defense, Philippine National Police, and DMW, worked under the One-Country-Team Approach (OCTA) to oversee the operation. A separate team from DFA and OWWA was also on board the PAL special flight to assist the repatriates.

Government officials reiterated their warning to Filipinos seeking employment abroad.

“We urge our kababayans to go through legal deployment channels, such as the DMW, to avoid falling prey to illegal recruiters and trafficking syndicates,” De Vega said.