BI stops surrogate mother-recruit from leaving PH

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed concern on Wednesday over the rising number of Filipino women being trafficked for illegal surrogacy abroad, following the interception of another victim last week.

The 37-year-old woman was apprehended at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Oct. 15, after attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Batumi, Georgia.

Authorities discovered she had been recruited to work as a surrogate mother for half a million pesos, Viado said in a statement.

According to the report of the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), the woman, who identified herself as a sales associate, initially claimed she was traveling to Georgia on business.

But inconsistencies in her statement led the primary inspection officer to refer her for secondary screening, where she eventually admitted to being recruited as a surrogate mother for an unidentified client.

The victim revealed that a man had contacted her via WhatsApp, offering P28,000 per month during pregnancy and a final payment of at least P500,000 after childbirth.

“The recruiter had enticed her with promises of covered medical treatments and other benefits, apart from covering her documentation and travel costs,” the BI said.

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The victim was referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance, while cases were being prepared against her recruiters.

I-PROBES chief Mary Jane Hizon noted that this was the seventh recorded case of surrogate mothers being intercepted at airports, pointing to a “troubling trend” where individuals were being lured into these roles under false pretenses.

Hizon said the case highlighted a new form of human trafficking, linking forced labor with surrogacy.