Why was the POEA license of Steadfast renewed?

Bantay OCW has documented at least 40 complaints against the Steadfast International Recruitment Corp.  The agency reportedly promises quick overseas employment then demands P30,000 to 50,000 as processing fees. The applicant then waits, and waits… and waits. Some have been waiting for years.

Complaints are coming in from applicants promised jobs as waiters and waitresses in Singapore, nursing assistants in Taiwan, computer professionals in Qatar, and the latest, caregivers in Cyprus.  The job promises don’t come with a Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) job order because these are allegedly “direct hire” jobs.

On June 27, 2011, four complainants, who applied online through workabroad.ph sought the assistance of Bantay OCW at Radyo Inquirer. They were all alleged victims of Steadfast since February 2011.

Bantay OCW brought the complainants to the POEA and personally called the attention of Administrator Carlos Cao, who promised to take action against the Steadfast agency.

We were therefore surprised when we learned that the Steadfast Recruitment agency was able to renewed its license for the next four years, from 11 June 2011 to 11 June 2015, despite 18 pending cases at the POEA Adjudication Office, not including cases up for conciliation.

Our understanding is that an agency cannot renew a license with three or more pending cases. How come Steadfast was able to renew its license?

One complainant said that during their scheduled conciliation hearing, Steadfast did not appear. Another added: if ever a Steadfast representative would appear, it is usually on the 3rd up to the 5th hearing.

A suspicion is that the agency is prolonging the agony of the victims while it finds more time to get more victims, and collects more money, so that they can still get funds to return to the previous victims. Wow, that seems like a networking scam, huh! First-come-first-served basis.

Steadfast apparently treats every name posted online through workabroad.ph as an applicant. They bombard them with texts, egging them to apply.

After the conciliation meeting, what’s next?   Apparently, complainants were not well informed about the process of conciliation or whether it would be better to file a case on docket.

Is the conciliation process at the POEA a comfort zone for the Steadfast agency?

There is a sense of urgency in their communications, as if the applicants will be deployed the next day.

POEA has a lot of explaining to do. Our complainants deserve to know. Bantay OCW as Radyo Inquirer watchdog is a signatory to the POEA Citizen’s Crime Watch against Illegal Recruitment and Human Trafficking.

Susan Andes—aka Susan K—is on board at RADYO INQUIRER 990 DZIQ AM  (Monday to Friday) 7:00 p.m. -8:30 pm (Audio/video live streaming: www.dziq.am). She is also on NBN Channel 4 (Monday to Friday) 10:10 pm to 11:10 pm. Bantay OCW Hotlines: 535-7209,881-9423, 0919-2140-699.  E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]