POEA warns Ilonggo jobseekers vs illegal recruiters
Officer-in-Charge Rhea Glynda Calantas of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) – Iloilo Regional Extension Unit warned Ilonggos seeking employment abroad of illegal recruiters posing as employees of POEA.
The warning was made by Calantas after receiving reports that there are individuals posing as POEA employees who have been allegedly recruiting applicants for overseas employment with no specific job order and collect fees.
Calantas said overseas applicants should not allow themselves to easily fall prey with this kind of illegal activity but should first check with POEA whether the recruiter is licensed.
"Applicants should always be on guard, they should be careful in dealing with these people especially those who collect fees, better, if they could inquire in our office first about the job offer", advised Calantas.
She also urged the public to continue its vigilance and help stop illegal recruiters in doing their unscrupulous activities by reporting to POEA if they have encountered this kind of modus operandi or dealt with these individuals so that they could verify their real status.
"Let us not allow these people to go on victimizing our applicants looking for work overseas whose only goal is to help uplift the condition of their respective families and eventually the country's economy," said Calantas, adding "let us be reminded that the law imposes severe penalties for illegal recruitment that include imprisonment."
To further avoid being victimized by illegal recruiters, Calantas reminded anew applicants to observe the following: do not apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA, do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders, do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency; do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency; do not pay more than the allowed placement fee; do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt; do not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring you to reply to a Post Office (P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for processing of papers; do not deal with training centers and travel agencies, which promise overseas employment; do not accept a tourist visa; do not deal with fixers.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank reported that remittances from overseas Filipinos (OFs) coursed through banks climbed by 9.4 percent year-on-year to US$1.4 billion in March 2008, the highest monthly level recorded thus far, as the country deployed more workers. (PIA)