Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed concern about the increasing cases of women being trafficked for illegal surrogacy abroad.
In a statement, Viado reported that another victim was stopped while trying to leave the country to work as a surrogate mother for P500,000.
The 37-year-old woman was stopped on October 15 at the NAIA Terminal 3 while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Batumi, Georgia.
The victim initially claimed to be a sales associate traveling to Georgia for business, but the immigration officer noticed inconsistencies in her statements and referred her for further questioning.
During the interviews, she admitted she had been recruited as a surrogate mother for an unidentified client.
She revealed that a male recruiter had contacted her on WhatsApp, offering P28,000 per month during her pregnancy and a total of over P500,000 after childbirth.
The recruiter promised to cover her medical expenses, travel costs, and other benefits.
The immigration protection and border enforcement section said this case shows a new type of human trafficking that links forced labor to surrogacy.
This is the eighth case of surrogate mothers intercepted at airports.
Earlier this month, Philippine authorities rescued 20 Filipino women who were forced to be surrogate mothers in Cambodia.IMT
