The Department of Labor and Employment warned anew overseas Filipino jobseekers against illegal recruiters and advised them to verify the status, license, and the legitimacy of placement agencies before applying for overseas employment.
“This is to prevent migrant workers from being victimized by illegal recruitment and human trafficking,” DoLE said.
In a statement, the DoLE enumerated various ways in checking the legitimacy of a recruitment agency before pursuing a job application.
“Log in the website of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration [POEA]. Then check all the status of licensed recruitment agencies listed at http://www.poea.gov.ph/cgi-bin/agList.asp?mode=all. Job seekers can fill-in the name of the agency and choose the category of the recruitment agency whether land-based or manning agency,” the Labor department said.
OFWs are also urged to call POEA to check the legitimacy of the jobs being offered and the license status of their recruitment agencies.
The POEA has released a public advisory which warns OFWs and job hunters who plan to seek employment abroad to avoid accepting job offers coming from Chuuk State Hospital in the Federated States of Micronesia.
POEA officer-in-charge Aristodes R. Ruaro said Chuuk State Hospital was ordered to cease recruiting Filipino workers following reports of maltreatment, contract violations, harassment, discrimination and abuse to their Filipino migrant workers.
The Philippine Consulate in Agana, Guam said that the Micronesian government has made no effort to improve the working conditions and failed to assist Filipino workers in receiving timely and proper salaries and benefits from their employers.
It was also discovered that the said hospital was reported to have been recruiting health workers from the Philippines without the proper approval from POEA.