A total of 519 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been rescued by the Department of Migrant Workers–National Capital Region (DMW-NCR) from 24 unregistered accommodation facilities in Metro Manila, which were shut down between June 2026 and the present due to inhumane and unsafe living conditions.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac praised the intensified welfare checks, inspections, and closure operations of the DMW-NCR to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of OFWs staying in temporary accommodation facilities before their deployment.

Cacdac said it is the obligation of every registered private recruitment agency to ensure that the temporary accommodation of their workers is decent and legal.

He stated that the DMW has the authority to inspect and close unregistered facilities, especially if the conditions of the OFWs are found to be inhumane.

“If the accommodation is not registered, it is illegal. Therefore, we can come in and inspect. And if the condition is inhumane, mayroon tayong awtoridad na ipasara,” Cacdac said.

The DMW chief emphasized the importance of protecting OFWs from unsafe and substandard temporary accommodations while awaiting their deployment.

The intensified operation of DMW-NCR against illegal accommodation facilities is part of the agency's broader mandate to strengthen protection and welfare services for OFWs and their families. NEIL ALCOBER