The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and the Department of Migrant Workers have close collaboration to ensure the cybersafety of more than 2 .5 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in 200 destinations worldwide.
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos and DMW Offer-In-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac led the MOU signing at the National Cybercrime Hub in Taguig City on Feb. 5.
“President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. consider the OFWs as the modern-day heroes under the Bagong Pilipinas. We want to show that we are in full support of the our migrants with the MOU with the DMW,” Ramos said.
Ramos said that OFWs are often targets of cybercrimes such as investments, love scams and online shopping scam because of their vulnerability and also their financial resources.
“It (vulnerability to cybercrime) is simple mathematics,” Ramos said.
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the remittances of OFWs in 2023 was expected to reach $37 billion.
Previously, OFWs were victims of illegal recruitment. Cacdac said that now OFWs are vulnerable to human trafficking , consumer fraud and online scams.
“OFWs just want to have a better life for their family but a number of people take advantage of OFWs and drain their hard earned income and resources,” Cacdac said.
Cacdac emphasized that the signing of the MOU itself is already a deterrent to cybercriminals who target OFWs.
“We will run after these wrong doers with the help of CICC and other government agencies such as Philippine National Police, National bureau of Investigation and the Department of justice,” he said.
Ramos said that with the MOU, CICC can include cybersafety as a topic in the pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS) of OFWs leaving the country. The number of OFW contracts processed for 2023 has already reached pre-pandemic level of more than 2 million.
Under the MOU, CICC will also help DMW in its digital transformation and cyber resilience.
DMW for its part will help the CICC in its cybersafety education and awareness campaign to OFWs.
Issued by the Office of CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos
