DMW flag social media account offering Filipinos for hire abroad

A social media account posting profiles of Filipino domestic helpers and health workers seeking jobs abroad has raised alarm for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

According to a "24 Oras" report by JP Soriano on Friday, the Instagram account announced it is a company based in Dubai that supplied Filipino housemaids, nannies, lady drivers, caregivers, and nurses.

The account also had several videos of the Filipinos wearing uniforms and enumerating their qualifications.

The DMW said that the workers were being marketed like products, and that it could be considered an illegal job offer due to the lack of proper processing and license.

“Ito ay napakalaking concern natin. Ang advice natin sa ating mga kababayan natin, huwag pumatol sa mga ganitong online job offers dahil may peligro, iligal, hindi dumadaan sa ligal na proseso sa panig ng Philippine laws at may peligro dahil hindi natitingnan, hindi natin naaprubahan yung kontratang pagdadaanan lalo na kung ang job offer ay patungkol sa mga OFW na kasambahay,” said DMW office-in-charge Hans Cacdac.

(This is a really big concern. Our advice to our citizens is to not take part in similar online job offers as there are dangers in not going through the legal process on the side of the Philippine laws, and there is also danger as we have not seen, not approved the contracts especially if the job offer is for an OFW domestic helper)

It was unclear whether the Filipinos in the social media account were in the Philippines or Dubai.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to said account and its contact information, but has yet to receive a response.

DMW has since reached out to Meta Platforms Inc. regarding the alleged illegal activity of the account.

The department reminded the public to be alert against illegal recruitment tactics.

“Kung meron mang job offer at matanggap, dapat dumaan muli sa DMW so tatlo po yan na kailangang alalahainin. Lisensyado [dapat] yung recruiter, accredited yung nag rerecruit sa abroad yung principal o employer at dapat yung worker mismo dumaan sa DMW para ma-process yung kanyang OEC o OFW pass,” Cacdac said.

(If there ever was a job offer and one is accepted, it should pass through the DMW. There are three things to remember. The recruiter [should be] licensed, the principal or employer should be accredited, and the worker must personally go through the DMW to process their OEC or OFW pass). —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News