Labor chief to new job seekers: Don’t to fall prey to illegal recruiters

MANILA, Philippines—Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz on Tuesday  encouraged college graduates and job seekers to familiarize themselves with the modus operandi of illegal recruiters and unscrupulous individuals to avoid falling prey to scams and non-existent jobs.

“We want our job seekers to be equipped with the right knowledge on our anti-illegal recruitment (AIR) campaign as they serve as their own lookout during their job hunting and application,” Baldoz said.

She said the government has its own “Ten Commandments” against illegal recruitment, adding that “heightened awareness on the AIR strategies would guard them against job swindlers and would lead them to just and decent jobs in the labor market.”

The “Ten Commandments” against illegal recruitment, formulated when Baldoz was chief of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, was initially intended as a guide to detect illegal recruitment scams, and evolved as popular standard precautions to avoid getting victimized by illegal recruiters.

The commandments are as follows:

1) Do not apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA.

2) Do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders.

3) Do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.

4) Do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency. If recruitment is conducted in the province, check if the agency has a provincial recruitment authority.

5) Do not pay more than the allowed placement fee. It should be equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs.

6) Do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt.

7) 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.

8) Do not deal with training centers and travel agencies, which promise overseas employment.

9) Do not accept a tourist visa.

10) Do not deal with fixers.

Baldoz also pointed job seekers to the AIR page of the POEA website (https://www.poea.gov.ph/air/whatisir.htm), which contains all information every applicant should know regarding illegal recruitment, including the nature and forms of job scams, tips on how to identify and avoid possible employment con artists and their sophisticated operations and traps.

The Labor secretary also advised those who want to work overseas to make use of the online verification services of licensed recruitment agencies at the POEA website to validate job offers. The site also provides a list of approved job orders up for grabs.