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| Photo courtesy of DMW |
By Jerome Carlo Paunan
MANILA (PIA) — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) renewed warnings against illegal recruiters using face-to-face and online tactics to lure Filipinos into exploitative jobs abroad, following the repatriation of 190 human trafficking victims from Cambodia.
Most of the repatriated workers were recruited through fraudulent online job offers promising high-paying positions but ended up working under abusive and exploitative conditions, the DMW said.
“Matagal na tayong nagpapaalala laban sa illegal recruitment, kasama ang IACAT. Ang paalala natin ay simple lang: kapag hindi dumaan sa DMW, iyan ang numero unong red flag,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.
The secretary said recruiters who communicate only through Telegram, Facebook, or other social media platforms are clear indicators of scams.
The DMW, a leading member of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, along with the Department of Justice and Department of Foreign Affairs, conducted the whole-of-government repatriation operation to protect overseas Filipinos.
Cacdac encouraged the public to verify the legitimacy of recruitment agencies and their approved job orders with the DMW, and to ignore “too good to be true” job offers on social media, which are often linked to cyberfraud schemes that have spread across Southeast Asia.
The warning comes as illegal recruiters continue targeting job seekers online with fraudulent offers, leading to situations where Filipino workers find themselves trapped in exploitative or illegal employment overseas.
It can be recalled that Philippine National Police chief PGEN Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. vowed to further intensify police operations against illegal recruitment in the country following the recent arrests of four suspects and the shutdown of two unlicensed agencies in Quezon City and Cavite.
Nartatez said that the PNP aims to protect the public from fraud and abuse and vowed to intensify the fight against illegal activities and unscrupulous recruiters.
The PNP chief also noted that they remain committed to working hand in hand with the Department of Migrant Workers to dismantle fraudulent recruitment operations nationwide. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
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