The Department of Labor and Employment deployed more than 400 new labor inspectors in key areas to inspect establishments employing foreign nationals, and verify the legitimacy of their employment.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered 404 Labor and Employment Officers from 16 regions to conduct verification inspection until the second week of December this year.
The LEOs were joined by one regular labor inspector who serves as team leader to supervise the conduct of verification inspection. Bello also directed the regional directors to authorize the verification and inspection of identified establishments and workplaces.
In Luzon, 135 LEOs were dispatched in the National Capital Region, 12 in the Cordillera Administrative Region, nine in the Ilocos region, 42 in the Cagayan Valley region, 37 in the Central Luzon region, 34 in CALABARZON, 12 in MIMAROPA, and 12 in the Bicol region.
Meanwhile, 11 LEOs will conduct inspection in Western Visayas, 23 LEOs in Central Visayas, and 12 LEOs in Eastern Visayas.
In Mindanao, 12 labor inspectors were given authority to conduct verification inspection in the Zamboanga Peninsula region, 20 in the Northern Mindanao region, 12 in Davao region, 11 in SOCCSKSARGEN, and 10 in Caraga.
During the inspection, the inspectors will ascertain the legitimacy of the company as shown by the business permit and the Securities and Exchange Commission registration; and verify the roster of local employees and the foreign nationals actually working at the time of inspection.
The inspectors will also check the list of Alien Employment Permit applicants, if there are any, and the company representative should certify that they are indeed hiring the foreign nationals.
The labor inspectors will submit a report to the DOLE regional director one day after the conduct of verification inspection.