By Roy C. Mabasa
The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, Canada advised Filipinos to exercise extreme caution when entertaining job offers for mushroom pickers that also promises opportunities for Canadian citizenship.
According to news reports that came out recently, over 700 jobs as mushroom pickers or harvesters await Filipinos in Canada.
It claimed that those hired as harvesters could earn as much as P100,000 to P150,000.
Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia, however, reminded Filipinos keen on working overseas, including in Canada, to inquire from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in their respective areas to determine legitimate job oppurtunities available for Filipinos abroad and ensure that their rights and welfare are protected.
In its official website, the embassy also posted a separate advisory issued by the POEA with regards to the reports that Canada is in need of mushroom pickers.
The POEA stressed that there is no ongoing recruitment being undertaken for mushroom pickers or any other field of work in Canada
"There is no accredited recruitment agency or POEA-approved job order and agency or its employer in Canada today," the agency emphasized.
The Canadian Embassy in Manila has yet to respond to queries on the veracity of mushroom picker job offers from their country.