DMW, Globe sign landmark anti-scam partnership

The Department of Migrant Workers and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance formalized a partnership to combat the rising threat of sophisticated, borderless online scams targeting overseas Filipino workers and their families.

Through a memorandum of understanding, the two organizations aim to strengthen digital safety programs, enhance cross-border intelligence sharing, and provide migrant workers with practical tools to identify and prevent financial fraud.

Globe, which chairs the GASA Philippines Chapter, is leading the private sector involvement. The coalition includes major tech and financial players such as Google, Meta, Mastercard, and Gogolook. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center is also participating in the initiative as an observer.

"Overseas Filipino workers make tremendous sacrifices for their families and for the country," said Derick Ohmar Adil, Globe’s head of AI and privacy governance. "They should not have to worry about falling victim to scams while working abroad."

The initiative will focus on expanding public awareness campaigns and digital literacy programs.

By conducting joint training sessions and research, the partnership seeks to help OFWs verify suspicious messages and secure the income they send back to the Philippines.

Meantime, DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac stressed that protecting the hard-earned remittances of migrant workers is a matter of national importance.

"For our overseas Filipino workers, every peso they earn represents sacrifice, discipline, and love for their families," Cacdac said. "We cannot allow criminals to take that away through deception."

The collaboration highlights an increasing reliance on public-private partnerships to address cyber-enabled crimes that bypass traditional geographic boundaries. The program aims to ensure that as digital communication and financial transactions become more complex, the protections available to Filipinos abroad keep pace.