Things to know about illegal recruitment in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – An estimated 6,000 Filipinos leave to work overseas every single day – fathers, mothers, siblings, or even an entire family. (INFOGRAPHIC: Getting to know the OFWs)

To secure a job overseas, OFWs and their families spend large amounts of time and money to pay for fees, paperwork, as well as trips to and from hometowns and cities. But in many instances, prospective workers can be scammed by illegal recruitment schemes.

According to government data, migrant workers continue to be victims of illegal recruitment despite laws against it. A total of 1,567 illegal recruitment cases were reported to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2016. But this excludes cases that have either been dropped or not reported at all.

For OFWs, knowing how to avoid being a victim can spell the difference between hope and misery. Here are some ways to guide you:  

According to the POEA’s pre-employment orientation seminar, OFWs can also prevent illegal recruitment by knowing how to spot an illegal activity:

 To report cases of illegal recruitment, OFWs can file complaints at the POEA offices. 

– Sofia Tomacruz with reports from Don Kevin Hapal/Graphics by Alejandro Edoria/Rappler.com