POEA warns travel agencies vs offering overseas jobs

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has warned immigration consultants and travel agencies that have no license to recruit workers against “offering" overseas job opportunities to their clients. Administrator Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said that under RA 8042, offering overseas employment in the guise of visa assistance constitutes illegal recruitment, if agencies doing so are unauthorized by the POEA to do recruitment activities. POEA Memorandum Circular No. 10, series of 2003, regulates the participation of foreign and local immigration consultancy agencies in the recruitment and placement of overseas Filipino workers. Immigration consultants are required to obtain a license from the POEA before they may engage in recruitment and placement activities, regardless of the visa under which deployment shall be made. Travel agencies are also not allowed to engage in recruitment and placement of Filipino workers. Baldoz said that some travel agencies include in their tour packages “the opportunity to hunt for jobs" in the course of their travel abroad particularly to Europe, USA, Australia and Dubai. The DFA reported recently that Australian immigration detained a group of Filipino tourists after discovering that travelers had intentions that appeared to be inconsistent with the conditions of their visa. Travel and immigration consultancy agencies found illegally recruiting overseas Filipino workers will be closed down and the owners will be prosecuted, Baldoz warned. - GMANews.TV