DOLE warns jobseekers on seasonal work in Italy

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reiterated Wednesday its warning that prospective overseas Filipino workers must be wary of recruiters for seasonal work in Italy. DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz issued the warning following complaints from relatives of victims who lost €5,000 (P299,100) to €15,000 (P897,300) to recruiters. “In May this year, and subsequently almost regularly, we have warned our people against falling victim to these unscrupulous criminals. We are reiterating our warning and are asking the people more concrete information so we could catch and send illegal recruiters to jail," Baldoz said in an article on the government portal. Citing a report from Labor Attaché to Rome Chona Mantilla, Baldoz said most victims were from the Ilocos region, where family members applied as direct hires of their own relatives and friends in Italy . The report added that the Philippines has not signed a bilateral agreement with Italy on hiring seasonal workers. Baldoz meanwhile lamented the difficulty of prosecuting illegal recruiters because even the victims themselves are not fully cooperating. She advised the victims to formally file complaints with the Philippine Embassy in Rome so the POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) can formally endorse their complaints to the Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch of the Philippine Overseas Employment Adminsitration (POEA). Baldoz said that POLOs implement a strict monitoring system for workers at jobsites to determine those who did not pass through the legal processes of the POEA, the membership and pre-departure orientation procedures of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the post-arrival orientation seminar of the POLO. The POEA had issued the same warning early this year, saying opportunities for employment as seasonal workers in Italy cover only those who are already in the European country with a valid work permit or soggiorno. It added that Italy allows direct recruitment of foreign workers only from countries that has signed bilateral agreements with Milan on such arrangements. The countries include Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovine, Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Croatia, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine, but not the Philippines. The POEA also noted that foreign workers illegally staying in Italy face imprisonment or deportation. Italy is among the Top 10 countries of destination for land-based OFWs, with some 23,000 Filipino workers deployed there last year based on government records. Consequently, remittance from Italy-based OFWs is also among the highest, amounting to over $520 million last year. — With Jerrie Abella/VS, GMANews.TV