From Pogos to Myanmar hubs

Just when you think that last year’s ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) would keep us safe from this scourge comes the news report that more than 200 Filipinos were rescued Monday from illegal scam hubs in Myanmar, and are now awaiting repatriation.

The rescued workers are victims of human trafficking schemes, with most of them enticed by lucrative online job offers purportedly as customer service representatives in Thailand. According to the Department of Migrant Workers, more than 1,454 Filipinos have been rescued from Pogo-like scam hubs in Southeast Asia over the past two years,

Their plight parallels that of workers in Pogo hubs raided last year: kept in prison-like facilities, forced to operate online scams, and tortured if unable to meet a steep quota in fraudulent crypto currency investments.

With a Pogo ban in place, these criminal enterprises seem to have moved operations to less restrictive countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar that in recent years have become a haven for transnational crimes. Many of the Filipino victims are professionals with backgrounds in information technology and had previously worked in Pogo hubs. Others had entered Myanmar using student or business visas, while some had taken the “backdoor routes” such as Palawan and Tawi-Tawi.

The latest rescue has prompted the Philippine National Police to tap its counterparts in neighboring countries to track down recruiters and financiers involved in the job scams and human trafficking schemes. Indeed, bolstering law enforcement and justice systems in the region can encourage victims to report and pursue cases against their traffickers.

Dubious jobs

Police departments, border security, and specialized task forces can meanwhile leverage technology to track traffickers and zero in on their financial assets with help from antimoney laundering agencies.

More than just repeated reminders for jobseekers to verify overseas job offers online, the government must intensify its information campaign to increase public awareness and people’s skills in recognizing red flags in suspicious hiring activities. Internet safety education should be a priority for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, as eager fresh graduates may be susceptible to aggressive recruitment tactics for jobs too good to be true.

And who can blame them, given that as of August 2025, the country’s unemployment rate stands at 3.9 percent which translates to about 2.03 million jobless individuals.

Similarly, the Bureau of Immigration should be more discerning in screening outgoing Filipinos on student or tourist visas who may be en route to dubious jobs in neighboring countries.

Emergency response

Just as crucial is the establishment of a clear and accessible line of coordination between migrant groups, civil society, and Philippine authorities to ensure swift and effective emergency response for trafficked Filipino workers. Survivors must have access to justice, protection, and repatriation, and provided assistance for reintegration and legitimate employment as well as counseling services.

Tech companies and social media platforms must be pressured as well to intervene and prevent traffickers from abusing the internet by flagging and removing fake job postings, improving internal reporting mechanisms, and enhancing data protection.

For its part, the Department of Justice must vigorously push for the investigation and prosecution of the recruiters and sponsors behind the trafficking of Filipino workers. A closer coordination with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking wouldn’t hurt either, as both public and private agencies must work together to safeguard our workers abroad.

Effective deterrent

As incoming chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ meetings next year, the Philippines can initiate a stronger partnership among law enforcement agencies within the region. Enhancing international cooperation is critical to dismantling transnational crimes and strengthening antitrafficking efforts.

The most difficult but also most effective deterrent is of course to address the root cause behind the vulnerabilities of would-be victims. Countering the perennial rise in unemployment and underemployment with more economic activities, tax breaks, and incentives for small and medium enterprises to encourage job creation, and establishing social safety nets are a good start.

The rescue of victims of transnational crimes must be part of a more serious crackdown on syndicates trading on the desperation of the unemployed. The real impact would come with the arrest and prosecution of syndicate heads and big players, especially now that there are signs of similar schemes in other countries like Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

It would be willful ignorance and self-destructive folly to underestimate the scale of such scam operations, and how attractive gilded job offers can be to hungry citizens of unstable economies.