THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in the region is beefing up its campaign against illegal recruitment in a bid to further prevent Filipinos from being victimized by such act.
POEA Regional Center for Mindanao chief Maria Carolina Agdamag said the information campaign on anti-illegal recruitment will be intensified this year down to the grassroots level.
“We will keep on campaigning and giving-out information,” Agdamag said during last week’s (Jan. 17) Davao Talking Points forum over Radyo ng Bayan.
She said the information drive will be in coordination with national government agencies, local government units and the academe.
Agdamag raised the need of collaborating with other agencies, especially LGUs, which could help POEA reach out to the vulnerable sectors.
“Mahirap mag reach-out sa grassroots because these are people who are willing to go out kahit alam nilang illegal ang pagka recruit sa kanila,” she said.
Agdamag said the campaign is part of the agency’s program anchored on the mandate to implement Republic Act No. 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.
The Act provides for the institution of “policies of overseas employment and establish a higher standard of protection and promotion of the welfare of migrant workers, their families and overseas Filipinos in distress, and for other purposes.”
Provisions on illegal recruitment fall under Section 6 of RA 8042, which defines illegal recruitment as an “act of canvassing any act of canvassing, enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring, procuring workers and includes referring, contact services, promising or advertising for employment abroad, whether for profit or not, when undertaken by a non-license or non-holder of authority..”
To avoid illegal recruitment, Agdamag advised aspiring migrant workers not to apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA. “They must check with POEA as to the veracity of the agency,” she said.
In POEA’s website, among the pointers given to prevent illegal recruitment are: not to deal with licensed agencies without job orders; and not to deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.
It is also advised not to pay more than the allowed placement fee which should be equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs.
A valid employment contract and an official receipt must also be present when paying placement fee.
Agdamag also bared POEA’s program in providing Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar for would-be Overseas Filipino Workers. [PIA 11/CARINA L. CAYON]
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