[PRESS RELEASE] ‘Ginagatasan lang kami dito’
For Immediate Release
May 12, 2026
Mimi Cawayan, Migrante USA
@migranteusa / +1 (202) 596-5816
‘Ginagatasan lang kami dito’: Labor Trafficking Victims and Filipino Migrants in U.S. Confront DMW Secretary Cacdac and Others, Win Commitments for Immediate Protections and Accountability
New York City, New York — On May 5-8, Filipinos migrant workers and grassroots organizations held a week of protest actions and faced off with Philippine government representatives attending the United Nations’ International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) to demand immediate action in response to urgent issues affecting Filipino migrants in the United States. The IMRF is a venue where world leaders from various UN member-states discuss how to ensure “safe, orderly, and regular” migration, but it has come under criticism from grassroots groups for excluding the voice of migrant workers themselves. President Bongbong Marcos Jr. sent DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, DMW Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Cooperation, Levinson Alcantara, and others to represent the Philippines and its model of migration as a 'gold standard' to the international community.
Since September 2025, migrant workers with Migrante USA and Tanggol Migrante have made several attempts to schedule a meeting with DMW Secretary Cacdac to no avail.
Migrant rights groups criticized the Philippine government for its lack of accountability in protecting Filipino migrant workers and failure to include them in the forum and ensure their input on the compact. Filipino migrant workers instead held their own forum on May 3 and developed a Filipino Migrant Workers Manifesto (Pahayag ng Pagkakaisa) on their pressing needs and demands. Demands raised by Filipino migrants and advocates during the community forum hosted by Migrante USA include accountability of abusive employers and labor traffickers, diplomatic intervention against unjust immigration detention and deportation, adequate and timely provision of services, and immediate relief and job creation in the Philippines.
Members of Migrante USA made the following statements:
Eric, an Overseas Filipino Worker, trafficking survivor, and member of Migrante New York, made the following statement on the issue of labor trafficking and the need for the DMW to hold abusive employers and recruiters accountable: "OFW ang pagpasok namin dito, manggagawang Pilipino. Hindi po ako pumasok dito na mag-isa, marami po kami. Isa lang po ako na nasa harapan niyo ngayon. Pagdating namin dito, kumpleto po ang aming kontrata ng pagtratrabaho, pirmado po, nagbayad kami sa OWWA. Lahat pinirmahan po yan ng bawat panig ng gobyerno at ng aming petitioner din dito. [Pero] pag dating namin dito—FRAUD. Dahil fraud ngayon, hindi kami makabalik sa Pilipinas dahil ang laki ng pagkakautang. Bakit pati dito sa Amerika ganito din ang sitwasyon namin at gaganituhin kami. Napakahirap. September Star [ay ahensya yung nagpadala sa akin] at registered po sila ng POEA kasi hindi ako piring papasok na ano. Kailangan manigurado kami at certified sila ng POEA. Matagal na [nagreklamo kami against September Star]—way back 2000 pa. Hanggang magpasa ngayon, aktibo pa rin sila nagpapadala ng mga manggagawa. Saan na ang proteksyon na binibigay niyo po?"
Kai Marie from Migrante USA commented on the bureaucratic process of getting help from the DMW and the neglect of migrant workers under Cacdac's leadership, "Why are there no reports reaching the people responsible that would do the blacklisting? There have been in-person meetings where there have been the same commitments from [the Migrant Workers Office], even head labor attachés, that they would forward complaints of agencies such as Amity Care. DMW hasn’t shut down the agencies that our members have been bringing up directly to MWO officials that have been responsible for trafficking and exploiting workers.
"Since September, there have been many forms of communication, [yet] Cacdac hasn't responded to the workers that have asked to meet with him directly while he's here [in New York]. It escalated to the point where even Kuya Eric has had to send a video to tweet at Cacdac. [But] there's still no response... Nasaan ang mga migranteng manggagawa sa loob ng United Nations? Even our representative—[who is] supposed to be our representative—Secretary Cacdac, has not even faced the workers. They had to gather themselves and do their own forum. And one of their demands: Cacdac must publicly apologize."
Aida, another labor trafficking victim from Migrante New York, added, “Sa pagdaan ng panahon, naunawaan ko na hindi lang pala ako biktima ng maling employer o mapanlinlang na recruiter. Ako ay naging bahagi ng mas malaking sistemang tinatawag na labor export policy, isang batas na ginawa at ipinatupad ng gobyerno sa Pilipinas noong 1974. Isang sistemang nagtutulak sa milyun-milyong Pilipino na mangibang-bansa dahil kulang ang disenteng trabaho at sapat na kabuhayan sa sarili nating bayan. Sa ilalim ng labor export policy, maraming manggagawa ang napipilitang tanggapin kahit mapagsamantalang kondisyon dahil desperado silang mabuhay at makatulong sa pamilya. At iyon ang sinamantala ng ilang recruiters at employers.
Naulit muli from 2024 hanggang ngayon! sa ilalim ng lifers to ni President Bongbong Marcos Jr, at DMW Sec. Cacdac. Billion ang pondo ng mga departamentong nangangasiwa sa mga OFW, hindi ito nararamdaman lalo na ng mga Pilipinong Migranteng Manggawa na naapektuhan ng gyera sa Middle East. Kaya nandito ako ngayon hindi lamang para ikuwento ang aking pinagdaanan. Nandito ako upang magsalita para sa libu-libong migranteng manggagawa na natatakot magsalita.
Hindi sapat na tawagin kaming “bagong bayani” kung hindi naman kami tunay na pinoprotektahan. Ang migrasyon ay hindi dapat maging sapilitang pagpili dahil sa kahirapan. Dapat ito ay isang tunay na malayang desisyon—ligtas, makatarungan, at may dignidad.”
Jom Dolor from Amerigrante Northern Virginia and Migrante USA commented on the need for urgent diplomatic intervention in response to the U.S. targeting Filipino seafarers, "Since last summer, [there have been] more than 200 documented cases of unjustly detained and deported seafarers [from the... ports in Virginia and Baltimore] and just recently now in San Diego as well. They are being falsely accused [for crimes], their visa is revoked, [and] they're blacklisted from entering the US. Nasaan ang gulugod ng mga official natin to stand up for our people who are just literally being pulled out of the ships in the middle of the night? Tapos papauwiin sa Pilipinas, wala silang trabaho [at] wala silang mapakain sa mga pamilya nila... That's the consequence of the MWO's [inaction]. We've tried hand delivering letters, calling, emailing... We've exhausted all those channels. In fact, when there was an active deportation happening at the port of Baltimore, Maryland, which is under your jurisdiction, we couldn't even get through. We had to call the Violence Against Women hotline para i-report ang isang active deportation. And all we were told is that we've noted this. We urge diplomatic protest from MWO or the ambassador up to Secretary Cacdac, up to President Marcos Jr., to immediately intervene and ensure the safety of seafarers and other migrants."
Following several confrontations throughout the week - including with DMW Secretary Cacdac and DFA Second Secretary Mapula - overseas Filipinos with Migrante USA and BAYAN USA secured a time to meet with Levinson Alcantara, Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Cooperation of the DMW.
Levinson conceded that certain DMW policies must end, including ending discriminatory policies requiring proof of legal status prior to repatriation as in the case of Rodel Pagdilao and ending the disbursement of public assistance funds to personal accounts as was the practice of Macy Maglanque, DMW head labor attaché whose assets were frozen due to suspected money laundering. Advocates await written confirmation from DMW directing all MWO offices to immediately cease these practices.
Assistant Secretary Alcantara committed to pass all demands from the meeting to Secretary Cacdac, including the demand for a public apology. Advocates continue to await his formal response.
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