Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente renewed his reminder to prospective overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) not to fall prey to illegal recruiters.
The BI chief said human trafficking remains a real threat to Filipinos as human traffickers continue their nefarious activities.
“Human trafficking is a modern day slavery and has been affecting many Filipino families," Morente said
He noted that OFWs working abroad illegally are oftentimes subject to abuse by their employers.
Records showed the BI had foiled 688 attempts of human traffickers at international airports to send their victims abroad.
For the same year, it also deferred the departure of 13,680 passengers with improper documentation.
“During labor day, we remind ourselves of our duty as the last line of defense in protecting our kababayan from unscrupulous recruiters,” said Morente.
He said that the agency will remain committed in it's fight against human trafficking, and cited the country’s retention of its Tier 1 status in the United States Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Index.
A Tier 1 status shows that the country demonstrates progress each year in combatting trafficking.