Illegal Recruitment and How to about it

There is no denying that looking for a decent-paying job here in the Philippines is no easy task. Aside from the tight competition against the almost 400,000 fresh graduates joining the job hunt each year, there’s not enough job openings to accommodate everyone. This is why some of us are entertaining the possibilities of applying for visa processing here in the Philippines to try our luck on foreign lands.

It is just frustrating to know that there are people that would like to take advantage of the situation of these aspiring applicants and lure them into scams. A lot of illegal recruiters prey on those desperate for a job and drag them into their doom. Illegal recruitment, as defined by the law in sec. 6, RA 8042, is any act of canvassing, enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring or procuring workers and includes referring, contract services, promising or advertising for employment abroad, whether for profit or not, when undertaken by a non-license or non-holder of authority contemplated under Art 13 (F) of Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines: Provided, That any such non-licensee or non-holder who, in any manner, offers or promises for a fee employment abroad to two or more persons shall be deemed so engaged.

These illegal recruiters will often associate themselves with big companies, call centers, and famous recruitment firms here in the Philippines. They will often ask for placement fees even without proper documents to present. This is why it is important to learn how to identify an illegal recruiter.

The internet is no safe place either to find a job. Though it is becoming a medium to find jobs today and there are several trust-worthy sites that act like a recruitment firm here in the Philippines, there are still malicious recruitment scams that can really deceive anyone and pull them into an unfortunate situation if they are not careful.

Luckily, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or POEA has been investigating on scams and started to warn the public about the common scams that are floating around the internet.
For the POEA’s list of common e-mail, click on this link.

And to avoid illegal recruitment, here are some simple reminders than can save you:

• Never apply for recruitment firms that are not licensed by POEA. To make sure that the recruitment firm is a legit one here in the Philippines, you can check on the list of licensed recruitment firms here.
• Never accept if a recruiter offers you a tourist visa as an alternative. Chances are you will be charged of overstaying, or worst case scenario, they are just trying to get you on a plane without any assurance of work abroad.
• Never transact with fixers. Dealing with fixers only supports the corruption in the system. Moreover, there are no guarantees that fixers can really get the job done.
• As much as possible, never meet with the recruitment agent outside of their office. Chances are they will be arranging under the table deals to lure you on spending more than the normal fees.