MANILA, Philippines – Despite the government having information campaigns about the tactics of illegal recruiters, the Department of Migrant Workers found that aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) continue to be victimized because of the lack of government intervention at the grassroots level, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said on Monday, August 12.
In a Senate migrant workers committee hearing on Monday looking into several unresolved cases of illegal recruitment, Cacdac said illegal recruiters are able to get through to would-be OFWs because they are present in communities where authorities are not.
The hearing, led by committee chair Senator Raffy Tulfo, included stories of some would-be OFWs who were allegedly illegally recruited by a certain Francia Bagasan promising them jobs in Canada and Japan, but were abandoned after paying up to P130,000 each in processing fees.
The dozens of complainants said that a certain Joel Capua, who participated in the recruitment process, claimed to be an employee from the Bureau of Immigration. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval earlier denied on Tulfo’s radio program that the BI employed anyone named Joel Capua.
“May iba pong kasama namin may cancer pa, tapos ‘yung iba nagbenta na ng pangkabuhayan…kasi pinangako po niya sa ‘min na makaaalis po kami, 101% daw po. Ta’s hanggang sa wala na pong nagpakita na Joel Capua,” said Noralyn Rosello, who was recruited for a supposed job in Japan, in the Senate hearing.
(There was even one of us who had cancer, and others gave up their livelihood because he promised we would be able to leave, 101%. And then Joel Capua never showed up again.)
Benedict Tuason, another victim of the illegal recruitment scheme, said he was connected to Bagasan through a neighbor. DMW Secretary Cacdac said illegal recruiters were able to operate because of their grassroots-level connections, where they could victimize community members.
“‘Yung kanilang kakayahang manghikayat, ‘yung tamis ng kanilang mga dila at mga pangako, ‘101%,’ ‘yung mga ganoon, marami pa ring kumakagat sa mga ganong pain. Maaaring hindi fully or adequately informed, so I will still attribute this to a continuing information platform or program,” said Cacdac. “Kailangan present din kami at the grassroots level.“
(There are still many Filipinos who take the bait because of recruiters’ ability to convince, and their sweet words and promises like “101%.” It is likely they are still not fully or adequately informed, so I will still attribute this to a continuing information platform or program. We also need to be present at the grassroots level.)
Cacdac mentioned a “barangay-level intervention” program with the Department of the Interior and Local Government that aims to monitor illegal recruitment cases in communities.
“Sa gusto man natin o hindi, minsan unwittingly si barangay ay kasali sa — kung ‘di man active participation, tolerance. Deadma, ganoon. Pinapayagan lang,” said Cacdac.
(Whether we like it or not, sometimes the barangay is unwittingly complicit — perhaps if not active participation, tolerance. They just let it happen.)
Tuason said the supposed BI employee, Capua, once offered to meet up in a fast-food restaurant along Quezon Avenue. Cacdac took the opportunity in the public hearing to mention that this was a red flag, as government employees should not be meeting with recruitment parties in public places — only in offices.
But the lack of information dissemination may not always be the reason why OFW hopefuls fall victim to illegal recruitment. Some Filipinos who have overseas experience, and have gone through the official process, are still vulnerable to illegal recruitment because of high offers combined with a desperate need for a job.
In a Rappler Community Chat on illegal recruitment held in February, Center for Migrant Advocacy executive director Ellene Sana said the organization has handled cases of experienced OFWs who still get illegally recruited to work in developed countries.
“OFWs are easily enticed to recruitment for destinations like New Zealand, Australia, Poland, and other European destinations because they believe these are better than other destinations. They pay huge sums…and it will be too late to reverse the process,” Sana said in a mix of English and Filipino. – Rappler.com