POEA: Beware of fake and illegal job offers
Published Feb 27, 2020 12:00 am
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warned jobseekers anew to be extremely cautious of overseas job offers -- particularly those coming from visa consultants and language training centers as well as the advertisements posted on social media sites.
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (MANILA BULLETIN)
Administrator Bernard Olalia, in POEA Advisory no. 19 series of 2020, noted that the administration has “received reports that some visa consultants and language training centers are promising overseas employment in order to entice clients to avail of their service.” Given this, he warned the public that the “said practice of visa consultants and language training centers is considered as illegal recruitment.”
“We are highly discouraging both prospective applicants and returning workers from entertaining job offers by language training centers and visa consultants and immediately report any illegal or suspicious activity,” Olalia said.
Under the Republic Act 8042, as amended by RA 10022, Olalia reminded that “offering overseas employment, in these cases in the guise of visa assistance or language training, without the necessary license or authority from POEA, constitutes as illegal recruitment.”
Olalia also noted that POEA memorandum circular no. 10 s. 2013 also “provides guidelines for the participation of local immigration consultancy agencies in the recruitment and placement of overseas Filipino workers.”
Based on the said circular, Olalia explained “immigration consultants are required to obtain a license from the POEA before engaging in recruitment and placement activities, regardless of the visa under which employment shall be made eventually.” He added that language training centers “are not allowed to engage in the recruitment and placement of overseas Filipino workers.”
Fake jobs on Facebook
Earlier, Olalia also said that jobseekers need to be cautious of overseas job advertisements posted particularly on Facebook. He noted that “unscrupulous persons are taking advantage of the popularity of Facebook as source of information among Filipinos.”
“It has become the favored platform of scammers and illegal recruiters who want to reach prospective victims easily while remaining anonymous in their illegal activities,” Olalia said.
Olalia said overseas job advertisements directed at Filipino workers have proliferated in Facebook over the years. The jobs offered are mostly of lower skills like farmers, caregivers, housekeepers, cleaners, gardeners, factory workers, fruit pickers, fruit packers, food attendants, and construction workers.
The countries of destination include Japan, Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Poland and Canada. The salary offer ranges from Php60,000 to Php120,000 per month. Olalia noted that the alleged job vacancies, however, “were not verified nor approved by the POEA.” Thus, these “should be avoided by jobseekers.”
Olalia noted that these Facebook pages also “use deceptively the POEA logo and in some instances photos of POEA officials and employees in their fake jobs advertisements.” Thus, he advised Filipino job seekers to be “vigilant and report” any suspected illegal recruitment schemes and activities - whether committed in person or using social media platforms - to the POEA Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch.
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (MANILA BULLETIN)
Administrator Bernard Olalia, in POEA Advisory no. 19 series of 2020, noted that the administration has “received reports that some visa consultants and language training centers are promising overseas employment in order to entice clients to avail of their service.” Given this, he warned the public that the “said practice of visa consultants and language training centers is considered as illegal recruitment.”
“We are highly discouraging both prospective applicants and returning workers from entertaining job offers by language training centers and visa consultants and immediately report any illegal or suspicious activity,” Olalia said.
Under the Republic Act 8042, as amended by RA 10022, Olalia reminded that “offering overseas employment, in these cases in the guise of visa assistance or language training, without the necessary license or authority from POEA, constitutes as illegal recruitment.”
Olalia also noted that POEA memorandum circular no. 10 s. 2013 also “provides guidelines for the participation of local immigration consultancy agencies in the recruitment and placement of overseas Filipino workers.”
Based on the said circular, Olalia explained “immigration consultants are required to obtain a license from the POEA before engaging in recruitment and placement activities, regardless of the visa under which employment shall be made eventually.” He added that language training centers “are not allowed to engage in the recruitment and placement of overseas Filipino workers.”
Fake jobs on Facebook
Earlier, Olalia also said that jobseekers need to be cautious of overseas job advertisements posted particularly on Facebook. He noted that “unscrupulous persons are taking advantage of the popularity of Facebook as source of information among Filipinos.”
“It has become the favored platform of scammers and illegal recruiters who want to reach prospective victims easily while remaining anonymous in their illegal activities,” Olalia said.
Olalia said overseas job advertisements directed at Filipino workers have proliferated in Facebook over the years. The jobs offered are mostly of lower skills like farmers, caregivers, housekeepers, cleaners, gardeners, factory workers, fruit pickers, fruit packers, food attendants, and construction workers.
The countries of destination include Japan, Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Poland and Canada. The salary offer ranges from Php60,000 to Php120,000 per month. Olalia noted that the alleged job vacancies, however, “were not verified nor approved by the POEA.” Thus, these “should be avoided by jobseekers.”
Olalia noted that these Facebook pages also “use deceptively the POEA logo and in some instances photos of POEA officials and employees in their fake jobs advertisements.” Thus, he advised Filipino job seekers to be “vigilant and report” any suspected illegal recruitment schemes and activities - whether committed in person or using social media platforms - to the POEA Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch.