Uphold OFW rights, DMW warns PRA/LMAs of recruitment violations

July 4 ------ Keeping with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure the protection and well-being of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reiterated its warning to private recruitment and manning agencies to strictly comply with the DMW rules and regulations by upholding ethical recruitment of their processed and deployed OFWs.

Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac reiterated the warning as he affirmed legal decisions on the previous recruitment violation cases of private recruitment and manning agencies resolved by then Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). “The protection and welfare of our OFWs is our outmost priority. The DMW affirms the decision of then POEA on its resolved cases involving private recruitment and manning agencies, found to be violating significant provisions of the rules intended to protect the rights and welfare of our OFWs,” Secretary Cacdac said. Case resolutions/decisions of then POEA and the DOLE, which the DMW affirmed include the cancellation of licenses of AMI Global.

Recruitment and Concept Placement Resources, Inc. in February 2023, and Bailey Corporation in March 2023, due to the seriousness and frequency of their offense, such as violations of the provisions of contract, irregularities on the workers’ deployment, among others. The DMW reiterates zero tolerance for erring and non-compliant agencies that put OFWs in distressing situations, and possible exploitation due to the agencies’ unethical recruitment practices. “We are reminding our licensed recruitment and manning agencies to always safeguard the protection and well-being of our OFWs by ensuring strict compliance to our rules and regulations,” Cacdac said. He added that licensed recruitment and manning agencies should exercise due diligence in submitting pre-employment documents and ensure their authenticity, otherwise, this would be tantamount to misrepresentation which merits the penalty of cancellation of their license.

The DMW also urged recruitment and manning agencies to be vigilant in the monitoring of the status and conditions of their deployed workers and to be responsive enough in case of any urgent concerns or emergencies.

Source: dmw.gov.ph