Philippines
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DMW warns illegal recruiters exploiting worker deployment program to South Korea
DMW warns illegal recruiters exploiting worker deployment program to South Korea
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) warned illegal recruiting entities that are taking advantage of the Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) to South Korea, including participating local government units (LGUs) that fail to adhere with the guidelines set by the government.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said it has filed 38 illegal recruitment cases related to the issue, involving 11 South Korean nationals who acted as brokers or intermediaries in the SWP, which is being facilitated by partner LGUs in the Philippines and South Korea.
Further, seven LGUs with existing agreement with their counterparts in Korea were also barred in the processing and deployment of Filipino workers “due to elements of illegal recruitment, including collection of excessive fees from the workers.”
“One of our main interests is to eliminate the brokerage system. We don't want people roaming around local communities illegally recruiting and charging fees against our job seekers specially our applicants for seasonal workers program. We want to completely eliminate brokers along these lines, to completely take over the recruitment process, and ensure better protection of our workers,” Cacdac noted.
Through the SWP, the South Korean government allows the legal hiring of foreign workers for short period to address chronic labor shortages during the busy farming and fishing season.
Seasonal workers from overseas are invited by local governments in South Korea to legally work in farming and fishing villages for 90 days (C-4 visa) or up to five months (E-8 visa), allowing diligent seasonal workers to find employment every year in the said country.
On January 11, 2024, the DMW imposed a moratorium on the deployment of Filipino seasonal workers to South Korea due to reported violations and welfare cases, including human trafficking.
As of Nov. 5, the DMW said that there are 6,967 OFWs deployed by 58 participating LGUs, of which 863 of them were deployed under the marriage track.
“There would be appropriate guidelines very soon for the DMW to completely take over the recruitment process if the decision is to proceed with the recruitment of seasonal workers. We are very much aggressive to guarantee better protection of OFWs, as well as prevent any possible exploitation and abuses of Filipino migrant workers,” Cacdac stressed.