The Pilipino Manpower Association for Taiwan said it supports the Department of Labor and Employment order in suspending the processing of overseas employment certificates due to reports of illegal recruitment activities victimizing Filipino workers.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the order, which took effect Nov. 13 and will end on Dec. 1, 2017, was issued to give officials time to look into reports of illegal recruitment activities.
Pilmat president Aida Gerodias said the suspension will benefit the OFWs and protect them from illegal recruiters.
“We have met with Secretary Bello and we are satisfied with his explanation on the suspension of OEC or D.O. 185. We also denied news that portrayed the Pilmat as opposed to the order which suspended the acceptance and processing by the POEA of OECs,” she said.
She said that recruitment and migration spokesperson Emmanuel Geslani has wrongly attributed Pilmat as opposed to the order.
“The statements attributed to us are false and painted the Pilmat in a bad light,” she said.
“News reports purportedly generated by Mr. Geslani and quoting us were not true. I don’t know Mr. Geslani personally. He never talked to me about D.O. 185, and how can I, even if he did, when I was in sick bay?” Gerodias said.
“The PILMAT, of which I am the president, is still to meet, so any statement attributed to me and to the association is premature,” she added.
Bello said that the order is important in view of the persistent reports of illegal recruitment activities including direct hires, and in order to protect the public from the pernicious activities of certain unscrupulous individuals preying on our OFWs.
Early this year, the labor chief suspended the processing and issuance of OECs due to reported anomalies involving some people at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).