Viveca Codamon Catalig, Officer-in-Charge of the POEA named the agencies as Lucky International Placement Services Inc. and Tai-Fil Manpower Services Inc.
The complainant in the case of Lucky International claimed that she was charged PhP101,000.00 for her job as caretaker in Taiwan.
POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 6, issued in 2006, however, strictly prohibits Philippine recruitment agencies from collecting any placement fee from applicants for household service worker positions, including caregivers.
In a Notice of Order/Resolution issued on January 24, 2012, POEA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac ordered the cancellation of the license of Lucky International, and as a consequence, its officers and directors as of April 2007 were disqualified from engaging in the business of recruitment of Filipino workers for overseas jobs.
Lucky International and its surety company were also ordered to reimburse to the complainant the amount of PhP79,060.00 representing the amount illegally collected. In the employment contract, the applicant has the obligation to pay for pre-departure expenses amounting to PhP21,940.00.
Catalig said Tai-Fil Manpower Services Inc. collected from the complainant in 2008, a placement fee amounting to PhP100,000.000 for a job as a food processor, also in Taiwan.
Section 3 of Rule V, Part 2 of the POEA Rules and Regulations prescribes a placement fee ceiling equivalent to a hired worker’s one month salary. The prevailing salary in Taiwan in 2008 was NT$17,280.00, which is roughly equivalent to PhP23,000.00.
In a resolution signed on January 24, 2012, Administrator Cacdac also ordered Tai-Fil Manpower to pay a fine of PhP40,000.00, and to refund to the complainant the PhP77,000.00 excess of the placement fee collected by the recruitment agency. The officers and directors of Tai-Fil Manpower Services at the time of the commission of the offense were also barred from participating in the overseas employment program.
Catalig further explained that recruitment agencies with canceled licenses are not allowed to engage in any recruitment activity.
“The public should be extra cautious when applying for work overseas and report to POEA any observed irregularity. Always check the status of your recruitment agencies for your own protection by visiting our website, www.poea.gov.ph or by calling POEA hotlines 722-1144 / 722-1155, and report those that are still recruiting despite the suspension or cancellation of their licenses,” Catalig concluded.
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