DMW closes Cavite travel agency for alleged illegal recruitment

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Monday closed down a travel agency in Cavite for its alleged involvement in illegal recruitment without a valid permit or license.

In a statement, the DMW Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons Program said the closure order was implemented after it was learned that the travel agency was allegedly offering jobs such as hotel cleaners and laundry shop workers in South Korea.

The supposed job offers allegedly used the G1 visa which is usually given to refugees or asylum seekers. The jobs also came with a monthly salary ranging from P85,000 to P125,000.

However, applicants were allegedly told to pay P80,000 as processing fee and another P35,000 to P40,000 as advanced payment that does not cover airfare for South Korea.

Under the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act, travel agencies are not allowed to engage in any recruitment activities.

During the closure operation, the DMW and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) also arrested a male suspect who used to work for South Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS).

The suspect and the travel agency will be facing charges of illegal recruitment and will be included in the DMW’s list of persons and entities with derogatory record.

The DMW reminded Filipinos aspiring to work abroad to verify job offers and ensure that these are from legitimate and authorized recruitment agencies.

It also advised Filipinos to avoid paying any placement or processing fees to unregistered firms, and to report such activities to the DMW. — JMA, GMA Integrated News