Five (5) distressed Filipinos working in a casino in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, were repatriated to the Philippines on 04 December 2019, after they were assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh. Sihanoukville is 230 kilometers away from the capital city of Phnom Penh.

The five OFWs sought the assistance of the Embassy because they were illegally terminated by their employer and were not paid their salaries for two months. They also feared being kicked out of the staff house, left to fend for themselves. They expressed their desire to return to the Philippines, given their bad experience with their employer.

Because of the initial uncooperativeness of the employer, the Embassy guided the five OFWs through the process of filing a labor complaint against their employer at the Labor Dispute Office in Sihanoukville. As a result, the OFWs received a portion of their salary.

Upon the request of the Embassy, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided their plane fare, while Bethany Baptist Church provided temporary shelter in Phnom Penh while pre-departure medical clearance was undertaken. They safely landed in Manila via Malaysian Airlines at 2112H. END