POEA bars foreign firms from hiring Filipino workers

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has barred 11 foreign employers from hiring Filipino workers due to their having defaulted on contractual obligations and for grave misconduct and violation of Philippine laws on overseas employment.

In a statement, POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac identified the foreign employers as Lae International Hospital Ltd., Al Yagoot Recruitment Office, Al Huda Engineering Works Co. WLL, First Kuwaiti Trading Corp., Al Asmi Manpower Services, Around the World Services/Proactive HR Solutions, Hanjin Trading Co. and Saweed Employment LLC.

Also barred from recruiting Filipino workers were Mal Lewis, chair of Lae International Hospital Ltd. in Papua New Guinea, and Epissan Mohd Ate Ter of Al Yagoot Recruitment Office based in Saudi Arabia.

Amazon International Manpower Specialist Inc. had its license revoked for violation of POEA rules and regulations governing the recruitment and employment of OFWs.

The case against Amazon stemmed from complaints filed by Arlyn Pasadas and Mrynalyn Saguid who said they were deployed by Amazon to Albania as a cook and caregiver, respectively, with a salary of $500. The two said they paid Amazon more than P100,000 each in placement fees but their employment papers did not go through the POEA process.

The complainants said they left for Albania on Nov. 30, 2010, on multiple visas with an Amazon employee escorting them through the airport.

They returned to the Philippines on Jan. 8, 2011, when their employer terminated their employment after they complained about violations of the terms and conditions of their contracts.

In his order, Cacdac declared Amazon International liable for charging excessive fees and collecting a placement fee from a household service worker, nonissuance of receipts, misrepresentation, deployment of workers to employers without POEA accreditation and other recruitment violations.