The Hidden Burden: Illegal Agency Fees and Predatory Loans in the OFW Deployment Process
The Philippines’ labor export economy, with approximately 2.3 million Filipinos working abroad, contributes significantly to the national economy through remittances totaling $36.14 billion in 2023. However, this economic benefit often comes at a considerable cost to the workers themselves, particularly in the form of illegal recruitment fees and predatory loans that many Overseas Filipino Workers









