Do not deal with illegal recruiters, POEA-2 tells jobseekers

by Thelma C. Bicarme

 

Tuguegarao City (28 June) -- The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Region 2 (POEA 2) has issued another warning to applicants for overseas jobs especially in Singapore saying they should follow the legal processes of getting an overseas job to avoid being fooled by unscrupulous recruiters.

 

Atty. Romelson Abbang, Regional Administrator said that in his call to the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, he learned that many of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW's) who ran away from their employers and sought asylum in the embassy are from Cagayan Valley.

 

"Majority of the OFW's are victims of maltreatment of their employers and there are also those who reported that they are not being paid correctly," Abbang added.

 

Abbang advised the overseas job seekers not to fall prey to those who are posing as recruiters for direct hiring abroad. "Apply only at recruitment agencies with job orders and licensed by POEA," he said.

 

The overseas employment administrator likewise advised applicants not to pay more than the allowed placement fee which is equivalent to one month salary and they should also ask for a copy of valid employment contract and official receipt.

 

He further told overseas job applicants not to accept tourist visa. "Avoid transacting with training centers and travel agencies which promise overseas employment," he said. (PIA)