DMW: Be vigilant vs illegal recruitment for overseas scam jobs

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Saturday reminded Filipinos to be vigilant against illegal recruitment for overseas scam jobs.

DMW Undersecretary for Welfare and Foreign Employment Hans Leo Cacdac issued the reminder after there was a reported increase in Filipino victims of cybercrime and human trafficking syndicates in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

Cacdac said victims fell for social media advertisements that offered jobs such as customer representative, technical support, data encoder, and call center agent, among others.

“Yung bang skills set ay fairly common to all so madali talaga makaakit ng tao na pupunta. Ipapain talaga ang libreng plane ticket o hindi kaya sasabihin hindi kailangan ng visa kasi ang mga bansang ASEAN po ito, yung mga Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar. Pagka turista po, hindi kailangan ng visa,” Cacdac said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.

(The skill set is fairly common to all so it's really easy to attract people to come. They will lure them by saying that there will be free plane tickets and no visa will be needed because these are ASEAN countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar which do not require a visa for tourists.)

“Pero ito pong pinakaunang bahid o indikasyon ng illegal recruitment or human trafficking kasi sasabihin punta ka na agad, madali ka makakaalis, hindi kailangan dumaan sa DMW, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), o Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). At kailangan nandoon ka na agad. At yun pala ang dadatnan doon mga illegal call center activities, catfishing scam,” he said.

(However, this is the very first indication of illegal recruitment or human trafficking because they will tell you to come and you can leave immediately without being processed through the DMW, POEA, or OWWA. And you need to be there right away and that's where they will be placed — in illegal call center activities and catfishing scams.)

Cacdac said the list of legitimate recruitment agencies can be viewed at the DMW and POEA websites.

“Meron silang (mga legitimate recruitment agencies) ipapakita na job offer, kompanya tapos hahantong sa job interview at work contract at work visa, at processing sa DMW at POEA,” he said.

([Legitimate recruitment agencies] will present them a job offer, a company, and then this will lead to a job interview and work contract and work visa, and processing at the DMW and POEA.)

The DMW undersecretary said the public can report their concerns via the agency’s hotline 1348, email: osd@dmw.gov.ph, and Facebook page.

Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to investigate the syndicates that allegedly recruit Filipinos to work as scammers abroad.

Hontiveros bared the case of 12 overseas Filipino workers who were rescued from a Chinese syndicate based in Myanmar through the help of a non-governmental organization and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

Meanwhile, at least 47 individuals who were allegedly victims of human trafficking are reaching out to the DFA to seek help for their repatriation, according to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega. — DVM/KG, GMA Integrated News