MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has padlocked six job firms, all based in Metro Manila, for engaging in alleged illegal recruitment activities and victimizing an undisclosed number of prospective overseas Filipino workers.
In a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the POEA’s anti-illegal recruitment division on Saturday identified the companies as Northwest Placement, Inc., KPM Hotelier Consultancy Services and CPG Services International, all operating in Ermita, Manila; Reajent Manpower Services, Inc. and International Progress, Inc., both based in Quezon City; and Wisepro Outsourcing Services in Pasay City.
POEA head Hans Leo Cacdac said “the number of complainants in illegal recruitment cases has actually declined. But that does not prevent us from intensifying further our campaign against illegal recruitment.”
“Our anti-illegal recruitment drive is a work in progress. It’s OFW protection more than anything else. That is why, closing down and punishing erring recruitment agencies are on top of our list of priorities,” he noted.
“The number of OFWs deployed abroad and the number of markets where we deploy them are just secondary,” said Cacdac.
Stressing the need to warn the public against erring job recruitment firm, the POEA head said, “We need to name names.”
Cacdac also called for “closer coordination with other government agencies, as well as local government units, as we increase our preventive efforts on the ground so that no one will fall prey to illegal recruiters.”
During the first eight months of the year, the POEA has canceled the licenses of more than 30 companies.
According to POEA records, the firms include the following: 3R International Manpower Services, Acclaimed One Manpower & Recruitment Services, Al-Mezal International Manpower, Asah International Manpower Corp., Bailey Corporation, Cerel International Manpower Services, Inc., Crown Overseas Placement, Inc., EMR Construction & Manpower Services, Inc., First Asian Career Solutions, First Cosmopolitan Manpower & Promotion Services, Gergon Maritime Services, Inc. (formerly Manila Tropical Services, Inc.), Gold & Green Manpower Management & Development Services, Hana Star Corporation, Hannan International Manpower Services, International Progress, Inc. (formerly International Progress Associates).
Jerson Manpower & Trading, Inc., LPN Manpower Services, Inc., MRC Promotion & Management, Inc., Multisystem Conexions, International, Inc., Petra Personnel Employment & Technical Recruitment Agency, Inc., Philippine Integrated Labor Assistance Corp., Prime Stars International Promotion Corp., RV Tria International Recruitment Agency, Real World Corporation, Roschazz UK Placement Consultancy, Samba Master Recruitment Service, Solidworks Manpower Resources & Promotion, Steadfast International Recruitment Corp., Tai-Fil Manpower Resources, Inc., Unlimited Manpower Resources, Inc., Vogue Plus Promotion, and Worldgoal Corp.
For the nth time, Cacdac warned prospective OFWs against illegal recruiters.
“Those planning to work abroad should deal only with licensed job recruitment agencies. But they should also be warned that there are cases where recruitment firms are licensed but their employer-contacts are not registered with us. There are also cases of registered employers but their job orders are not registered with the POEA,” he said.
That is why, Cacdac emphasized “it’s a must that job recruitment firms must be licensed and both prospective employers and their job orders are registered with us.”
From 1.47 million in 2010, more than 1.68 million OFWs were deployed abroad last year.
Out of the 2011 total, some 1.32 million and nearly 370,000 are land-based and sea-based workers, respectively.
During the first half of 2012, the number of deployed OFWs totaled 891,460, a 1.3 percent increase over the 879,960 OFWs deployed during the same period last year.
During the past two years, the top 10 destinations for land-based OFWs were Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, Kuwait, Taiwan, Italy, Bahrain, and Malaysia, according to POEA files.