The Philippines has helped remove about 250,000 online posts linked to fraudulent overseas job offers through partnerships with Meta and TikTok Philippines, the Department of Migrant Workers said Thursday.
The department presented the effort at a Southeast Asian labor forum, where participants called for closer cooperation among governments, technology companies and worker advocates to combat recruitment scams targeting migrant workers.
Speaking at the 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labor in Pasay City, Migrant Workers Undersecretary Darlene Pajarito said partnerships with social media platforms were part of a broader campaign that includes agreements with government agencies and public awareness materials.
“We cannot work in silos,” Pajarito said, according to a department news release. “That’s why we also forged many memoranda of agreement with concerned agencies, published materials for public awareness, and took down fraudulent job posts through our partnership with Meta and TikTok Philippines.”
The Oct. 14-15 forum at the Philippine International Convention Center examined fraudulent job offers, online recruitment platforms and the role of platform regulation in preventing scams.
Geertrui Lanneau, a regional specialist at the International Organization for Migration, discussed emerging patterns in online recruitment fraud. Cambodian employment official Khim Sosamrach reviewed online recruitment and job-matching platforms, while David Lam, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, addressed platform regulation.
Participants also discussed access to protection, support and legal remedies for migrant workers who fall victim to recruitment fraud and exploitation.
Kongseng Piengpanya, a coordinator at Village Focus International, urged participants to translate the discussions into concrete protections for vulnerable workers.
The forum also reviewed regional efforts to promote safe migration and decent work, with calls for sustained cooperation among governments, employers, labor organizations and civil society.
Gigi Mathay, deputy general secretary of the ASEAN Trade Union Council, said the results should be judged by their impact on workers.
“Our progress must be measured not by the meetings we hold, but by the tangible improvement in the daily lives of every migrant worker in the region,” she said.
