After their "harrowing experience at hands of their human traffickers in Malaysia," two Filipinas have been repatriated in time to spend Christmas with their respective families, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Sunday, Dec. 24.

In s statement, BI said the two Filipinas whose named were withheld arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last Dec. 20 from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

“The repatriation of these two victims serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by improperly documented OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and the urgent need for comprehensive measures to prevent human trafficking,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.

Tansingco lamented that the two Filipinas found themselves “at the mercy of unscrupulous employers without the protection of legal contracts.”

“The lack of formal agreements leaves them susceptible to exploitation and abuse,” he said.

BI said that two Filipinas "left the country earlier this year via a boat trip through the Palawan-Kudat route, enticed by promises of employment as waitresses in clubs.”

Upon arrival in their workplaces in Malaysia, the bureau learned “they were deprived of any compensation for their work.”

“One of them even faced further distress when she expressed her desire to return home,” Tansingco said. 

“Instead of letting her go, her employer reported her to Malaysian authorities for working without a proper visa, resulting in her detention,” he said.