The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and overseas job applicants against illegal recruiters and traffickers.

From January to July 2026, DMW assisted in the repatriation of 1,293 Filipino trafficking victims, according to Undersecretary Darlene Pajarito. Of these, 1,154, or about 89 percent, were reportedly victims of forced criminality, while 126 were victims of forced labor.

“A lot of those cases involve trafficking for forced criminality. And most of our victims are trafficked in those countries, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Malaysia," Pajarito said. "Of course, there are other countries, but these are the countries with the highest number of Filipinos identified as victims of trafficking."

For her part, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Jinky Dedumo, head of the Department of Justice’s NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking, said that Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and Malaysia were among the destinations for passengers who were monitored after being deferred from departure.

Russia, Cambodia, and Malaysia reportedly recorded the highest numbers of passengers deferred from departing.

According to the DMW, many trafficking victims came from Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal. While many departed through Ninoy Aquino International Airport, others reportedly used irregular departure routes.

Pajarito said the DMW is coordinating with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to strengthen monitoring and enforcement against irregular routes to and from Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi, Jolo, and Palawan. The agencies are also addressing recruitment schemes that route Filipino workers through third countries.

The DMW continues to coordinate with IACAT member agencies to monitor cases, assist victims of trafficking and illegal recruitment, and arrange their repatriation.

The agency also warned Filipinos in Cambodia that those found involved in online scam operations may face imprisonment under the country’s new Law on Combating Online Scams, reportedly enacted in April 2026.

According to the DMW, 47 Filipinos were being held in two provincial prisons.

Under the new law, workers found participating in scam operations may face imprisonment of two to five years. Those found guilty of operating online scams involving harassment, torture, labor exploitation, human trafficking, or forced criminality may face up to 20 years in prison.

The DMW said that victims of human trafficking who seek help at a shelter will not be treated as offenders and will instead be assisted with repatriation.

The agency urged Filipinos being held or forced to work in scam compounds to seek help from the Philippine Embassy or the Migrant Workers Office in Cambodia. Job seekers were likewise remimded not to accept suspicious job offers posted on Facebook, Telegram, and other online platforms.

According to data cited by the Bureau of Immigration, about 13,000 Filipinos are in Cambodia and work in sectors such as education, health care, information technology, and sales.

The DMW said its newly opened Migrant Workers Office in Cambodia has retained lawyers to assist Filipino victims of human trafficking.

Cacdac also advised OFWs and other Filipinos not to pursue job offers from scam compounds in Cambodia or Myanmar.