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| Some of the surrogates are abused or abandoned abroad, even after getting pregnant |
The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has issued another warning to Filipino women to be wary of offers to act as surrogate mothers in unnamed countries abroad.
The advisory
issued Thursday said a number of Filipinas had reached out to the Department of
Foreign Affairs to ask for help after their recruiter for surrogacy jobs
refused to pay them salaries after learning they were afflicted with some
ailment.
The recruiter’s
handlers on the other hand had been driving them away from the boarding houses
where they were made to stay but did not offer any money for their return air
fare. The women were also warned that the police would be tipped off about
their whereabouts if they did not leave.
As they flew in as
tourists they cannot get help from local authorities regarding the illicit employment
deal, said the Consulate.
While no details
were disclosed as to where the Filipinas had come from or which country they are
now staying, the PCG had posted a similar warning last year after a Filipina domestic
worker in Hong Kong was lured to Georgia to act as surrogate but was then
subjected to abuse after getting pregnant.
According to a
Filipino community leader who relayed the victim’s appeal for help to the PCG,
the 36-year-old surrogate was held captive by her abuser in the Georgian capital,
Tblisi, and was being forced to abort the six-month baby in her womb.
The
OFW said she was tempted to accept the surrogacy offer after her employment
contract in Hong Kong was terminated in October 2024. Instead of going back to
the Philippines, she agreed to fly to Qatar, then onwards to the East European
country.
The
victim also said she was terminated in Hong Kong in October 2024 and agreed to
the surrogacy offer because it was tempting.
The
OFW was reportedly offered US$11,800 over nine months to carry an implanted egg
in her womb. The recruiter arranged a tourist visa for her in Georgia, which
allowed her to leave Hong Kong within days.
After
the PCG was alerted the victim was rescued from her captor but was able to fly
back home only after giving birth in Georgia.
According
to the PCG’s initial warning, a syndicate appeared to be targeting terminated
domestic helpers for surrogacy jobs in Georgia, where many ended up being raped
and forced to undergo abortion.
In the Philippines, there is no law that either bans or allows surrogacy. But the lack of explicit regulation and strict laws on adoption have resulted in many surrogates falling victim to unscrupulous brokers or recruiters.
