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The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warns overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in dealing with recruitment agencies and individuals who offers jobs in Italy supposedly as seasonal workers.
Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, POEA Administrator, said that recruitment of seasonal workers is allowed only in countries with special agreements with Italy and Philippines is not one of them, and those already working legally in Italy.
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Rome reported that the new illegal recruitment scheme has already victimized a number of Filipino workers who are now stranded in Italy because of lack of proper work documents after paying up to Php500,000.00 each for non-existent jobs.
Manalili said that while it is true that there is opportunity for employment as seasonal workers, it only covers those who are already in Italy with valid work permit (soggiorno). Italy allows direct recruitment of foreign workers only in countries which has signed bilateral agreements for the purpose, including Serbia,
Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Croatia, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine.
Foreign workers illegally staying in Italy face penalties or imprisonment or deportation.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warns Filipino women seeking domestic helpers job in Singapore to avoid applying with travel agencies who act as employment agents.
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Singapore reported that 99% of Filipino domestic helpers who ran away from their employers were deployed by travel agents and do not have valid overseas employment documents issued by the POEA.
Singapore said a syndicate composed of travel agencies in the Philippines is behind this illegal recruitment scheme in connivance with placement agencies in Singapore which were not accredited by the Philippine embassy and therefore have no counterpart recruitment agency in the Philippines.
Also according to the report, at least five Filipino domestic helpers who were able to leave the Philippines as tourists run away from their employers every day because of financial difficulties and seek refuge at the Philippine embassy. Some of them had only worked for 3 days to 5 months before leaving their employers.
The workers were asked to sign a one-page contract indicating their salaries ranging from $250.00 to $350.00 per month with no day off. The workers, however, get only $20.00 per month as subsistence allowance because the Singapore agency has to deduct from their salary the placement fee equivalent to seven months salary.
Manalili clarified that household workers receive a monthly salary of $400. She also said that she has already requested from Labatt Sabulao the names of the travel agencies involved in the illegal recruitment scheme for proper investigation.
