Seven Filipino workers bound for Dubai rescued from unsafe Manila accommodation

Seven Filipino workers who were set to travel to Dubai have been relocated to a safer temporary accommodation in Manila after Philippine authorities discovered they were residing in an unsafe and reportedly unregistered facility. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) carried out this operation in Ermita on September 24, following a report from one of the applicants who had reached out about substandard living conditions earlier in the month.

The investigation revealed that the group was in a facility described as hot, cramped, dirty, and poorly maintained. The applicants, who were awaiting deployment to Dubai as housekeeping staff, were temporarily moved to Kabayan Hotel while the authorities continue their investigation. The DMW-NCR regional director, attorney Ace Falconi Millar, led the operation alongside the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, barangay officials, and police.

Millar emphasized that the agency would take action against recruiters who place Filipino workers in dangerous and unsafe accommodations, stating that the safety, dignity, and welfare of OFWs and applicants are their top priority. The DMW is urging Filipinos preparing to work abroad to thoroughly check their recruiters, recruitment arrangements, and accommodation facilities, and to immediately report any concerns to the agency.