POEA suspends licenses of 10 recruiters charging high fees

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) suspended the licenses of 10 recruitment agencies for charging excessive placement fees and committing other recruitment violations.

POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the licenses of the following recruitment agencies were canceled from January to February 2012:

- Tai-Fil Manpower Services Inc.;
- Lucky International Placement Services Inc.;
- 3R International Manpower Services;
- EMR Construction and Manpower Services;
- First Cosmopolitan Manpower and Promotion Services, Inc.;
- International Progress, Inc;
- Pearl of Panay Worldwide Manpower Services, Inc.;
- Roschazz UK Placement Consultancy;
- Worldgoal Corporation; and
- Sun Marino Shipping, Inc.

Cacdac said recruitment agencies with canceled licenses are not allowed to engage in any activity related to the recruitment of applicants for overseas jobs.

He noted that since the 1980s, the POEA has so far cancelled the licenses of 566 recruitment agencies:

- 522 land-based agencies, and
- 44 sea-based agencies.

Cacdac reminded jobseekers to be extra cautious when applying for work overseas and to report to the POEA any irregularity they observe.

"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," Cacdac said.

He explained that POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 6, issued in 2006, prohibits Philippine recruitment agencies from collecting any placement fee from applicants for household service worker positions, including caregivers.

For non-household service workers, 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.

Source: GMA News