Three Filipinas were brought back to the Philippines after being trafficked to Malaysia through illegal sea routes and forced to work in bars as guest relations officers, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported.
The women, aged 30 to 32, arrived at the Port of Zamboanga on April 5 from Sandakan, Sabah via MV Antonia.
According to the initial investigation, they were recruited online and promised legitimate jobs as waitresses in Malaysia with monthly salaries ranging from PHP 40,000 to PHP 60,000.
Two of the women left the country in November 2024 through what is known as an irregular migration corridor or “backdoor” route, bypassing immigration checks by traveling from Palawan to Malaysia on small boats.
They ended up working in a bar-restaurant in Sabah without proper documents and were later arrested by Malaysian authorities and detained for five months before being deported.
One of the victims revealed she had been trafficked since 2021 and repeatedly exploited abroad.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned against the dangers of illegal migration and deceptive recruitment, stating, “These young women were lured by false promises, smuggled out of the country through unauthorized routes, and forced into degrading conditions abroad.”
The BI urged the public to stay alert and report any suspected trafficking or illegal recruitment by contacting the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) through Actionline 1343, which is open 24/7.
