MYANMAR has released 78 Filipinos who were detained for immigration-related offenses, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
The Philippine Embassy in Yangon is facilitating the repatriation of the unidentified Filipinos in coordination with Myanmar authorities, the DFA said Saturday evening.
"All the Filipinos were trafficked for employment in scam centers in Myanmar and had been serving sentences for illegal entry and residency," the DFA said in a statement.
The release of the unidentified Filipinos was made during the Myanmar New Year (Thingyan), which reflected the "goodwill between Myanmar and the Philippines," the Foreign Affairs department said.
The Philippine government expressed its appreciation to Myanmar authorities "for this compassionate and humanitarian gesture," the DFA posted on Facebook.
The DFA reaffirmed its foreign policy pillar of "protecting Filipinos overseas, in collaboration with the Department of Migrant Workers, and will continue to work with relevant law enforcement agencies toward the prosecution of illegal recruiters of Filipinos trafficked for illegal jobs abroad."
The embassy in January warned Filipinos against accepting suspicious job offers in Myanmar.
It said that many Filipinos "have already fallen victim to these deceptive schemes, resulting in exploitation, detention, and other serious consequences."
The embassy advised Filipinos seeking overseas employment to accept only legitimate job offers duly verified by the Department of Migrant Workers prior to departure from the Philippines.
"Foreign nationals found without proper documentation, overstaying, or engaging in unauthorized work may be subject to detention, fines, and deportation," it added.
The embassy said Filipinos "who may have fallen victim to illegal recruitment or human trafficking and are currently in Myanmar" should seek its immediate assistance.
"Beware of false job offers. Recent cases confirm that positions advertised under misleading titles such as 'Customer Service Representative' have been used as fronts for trafficking-in-persons," it said.
Any suspicious recruitment activity should be reported immediately to Philippine authorities before accepting an offer or traveling abroad, the embassy said.
It reminded Filipinos to "avoid unlicensed recruiters." Employment must be processed through authorized agencies, and travelers must possess complete and valid employment and immigration documents before leaving the Philippines.
It also said that working abroad without proper documentation exposes individuals to heightened risks of abuse, trafficking, and detention.