Cordi illegal recruitment cases double this year

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration warned the public to beware of illegal recruiters directly hiring through the Internet, citing that illegal recruitment cases this year have almost doubled compared to the cases recorded by the agency for the previous year.

Delfina Camarillo, POEA regional director, said since January this year, more than 46 illegal recruitment cases have already been reported to them, compared to the 26 illegal recruitment cases reported for the same period last year.

To prevent innocent individuals from being victimized by unscrupulous recruiters, Camarillo said the worsening illegal recruitment problem is being addressed through information and education campaign in the grassroots level, especially prospective migrant workers, on the common tactics of illegal recruiters so that people will know how to counter such dirty tactics.

The POEA official advised people who see advertisements placed in the Internet for job openings overseas to be cautious of direct hiring strategies being employed by the illegal recruiters in order to prevent them from being hoodwinked in giving out a substantial amount of money without a guarantee of gainful employment abroad.

According to Camarillo, Internet-based direct employers are mostly swindlers out to get money from unsuspecting applicants who usually fall prey to their blind advertisements and eventually end up giving out a huge sum of hard-earned money.

Camarillo said direct-hire job opportunities should be at no cost to the applicant because expenses like visa applications, placement fees, and other important expenses will always be shouldered by their prospective employers.

She added employers who solicit placement and other fees even if they are directly hiring and not recruitment agencies should already forewarn a prospective overseas worker so that they will not be caught in the bait.

The POEA reiterated their appeal to overseas workers to always check the license of the agencies recruiting them for work by going to their website or contacting the government agency for proper verification.

Camarillo said migrant workers are always made to sign an employment contract, but they must remember that before signing a contract, they must first read and study all the provisions; thus, they must not sign the contract nor pay any fee unless they have fully understood and agreed to the indicated items and conditions.

The POEA official disclosed documentation costs, which are usually paid by the worker, include expenses for passport, medical exam, police or National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHELTH insurance, trade test, authentication, and inoculation as required by the host country. Other fees that are collected beyond what is required should already forewarn prospective job seekers.

She advised residents in rural areas in the region to sacrifice a bit in verifying the legitimacy of their supposed overseas employment with the POEA prior to accepting such employment opportunities to prevent them from being fooled.