DMW to go after brokers who charge placement fees for OFW jobs in SoKor

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday it would clamp down on brokers who charge Filipino workers with placement fees in exchange for seasonal contract employment in South Korea.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the practice of such brokers has been become widespread over the last four to five years as some Filipinos clients end up paying exorbitant fees, sometimes repaid via loan arrangements, in the hope of getting the jobs.

The agency has worked to stop the practice since it took over the regulation of seasonal worker deployment last year, but noted that some of these brokers continue to operate.

"Brokers, some of them Korean nationals, roam free and charge our employed workers or provide loans… So-called loans with additional fees involved in those loans, placement fees. Ang nangyayari, apat or limang buwan nang paglalagi ng seasonal worker. [Ang sahod para sa] tatlong buwan, binabayad doon sa broker, (What happens is that the seasonal worker stays for four to five months. Their salary for three months is paid to the broker)," said Cacdac.

"Before we came in, talamak 'yung broker system… That practice has stopped, but that's not to say na walang brokers pa rin," he added.

(Before we came in, the broker system was prevalent. That practice has stopped, but that's not to say brokers no longer exist.)

Cacdac said that before the DMW intervened, seasonal contract worker deployment to South Korea was carried out through agreements made between Philippine Local Government Units (LGUs) and Korean local government units.

The DMW immediately came into the picture following the deaths of six OFWs. Since then, the Philippines has deployed 8,000 workers through DMW offices with one case of an OFW death.

"About a year ago, we stepped in and imposed an interim moratorium on the program until we allowed deployment through our offices by processing of the OFWs through the DMW. We look at their contracts, ensure that they are insured medically, and the OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) membership. Thus far, meron tayong isang case ng nasawi over the last year since we handled the program (Thus far, we've had one case of death over the last year since we handled the program). But we are also braced to sign an interagency memorandum circular with the DILG, DFA, and all the relevant agencies about this matter," Cacdac said, referring to the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Foreign Affairs.

DMW is handling a total of 25 pending cases against brokers and has assisted the DOJ in filing cases against brokers in Davao and Bulacan.

"Mahirap kasi [It's hard because] it's been a practice over the last four or five years. They still think they can roam free, but the most important thing there is we run after them, we crack down on them, and we file cases against them," he said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News