DMW Brings Home First Human Trafficking Victims of 2026

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) successfully repatriated the first group of human trafficking victims (HTVs) for 2026, bringing home seven Filipino workers from Cambodia.

The returnees arrived in the early hours of January 4, 2026, at NAIA Terminal 1 aboard Philippine Airlines Flight PR 2622, where they were welcomed by a multi-agency team including representatives from DMW–NAIA, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Bureau of Immigration, Manila International Airport Authority–Airport Police, and the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking (NAIA-TFAT). Immediate assistance and safe arrival procedures were provided to ensure their comfort and security.

OWWA arranged temporary housing and transportation for the workers to reach their hometowns. They are scheduled to report to the DMW for legal counseling, psychosocial support, and reintegration programs, all part of the government’s holistic approach to helping trafficking survivors.

Prior to their departure, DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legazpi personally assisted the workers at Phnom Penh International Airport, with the repatriation coordinated alongside the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Migrant Workers Office in Singapore.

The DMW emphasized its ongoing commitment to protecting overseas Filipino workers and intensifying anti-human trafficking efforts through coordinated, sustained assistance programs.