Agency Suspended for Excessive Collection of Placement Fees

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has suspended the license of JFG Career Agency as well as its counter part in Canada, September Star, Inc, that were found collecting placement fees from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are bound for jobs in Canada.

The owner of four branches of A&W restaurants in Canada, Mr. Tyson J. Kefebre, filed the complaint when one of the 16 OFWs he hired told him that each of them paid some US$1,500.00 to JFG Career Agency and were compelled to sign promissory notes that they would pay additional US$4,500.00 to September Star in scheduled installments.

Another OFW, according to Mr. Kefebre, also complained JFG Career Agency for asking of US$2,000.00 for the release of her travel documents. Aside from that, the Canadian Agency also requires the workers to sign with another employment contract which is totally different from the contract approved by the Canadian government and that gives burden to the OFWs.

The POEA Administrator, Rosalinda Baldoz, said that police authorities in Alberta filed cases of extortion and violation of Fair Trading Act against JFG Career Agency.

She also said that JFG Career Agency also collects very high placement fees from OFW recruited directly from United Arab Emirates.

The Canadian government strictly prohibits the collection of recruitment fees from employees. Anyone caught collecting any amount of money from applicants will be punished and will have a minimum fine of $100,000.00 or imprisonment or both.

Source:
POEA