Filipino jobseekers warned vs fake papers in Singapore

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has warned Filipinos applying for work in Singapore against submitting fake employment credentials even as the Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower has intensified the prosecution of foreigners who forge their qualifications in order to obtain work passes.

Baldoz said the Philippine Embassy in Singapore has already issued an advisory to overseas Filipino workers to ensure that they submit proper academic credentials prior to employment.

Submission of fake credentials carries a heavy penalty in Singapore, Baldoz said.

In an amendment made last year under its Employment of Foreign Manpower Act of 1991 (EFMA), Singapore imposed a penalty of a fine of up to 20,000 Singapore dollars, or P690,000, and/or a prison sentence of up to two years to foreign workers found submitting false documentation.

“It is also important for applicants to be wary of employment agencies that ask them to agree to the use of fake credentials,” the embassy advisory said.