POEA goes after recruitment agencies violating rules on household workers

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration trains its sight on recruitment
agencies violating rules and regulations concerning Filipino household service
workers (HSWs) as it ordered last month the preventive suspension of four
recruitment agencies for deploying underage HSWs, illegal collection of placement
fees, and other recruitment violations.

Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said that based on the complaints of several female
OFWs,  he issued separate suspension orders against Happy World Human Resource
and Recruitment Agency Inc., B&E Overseas Manpower Services Corporation,  AFT
International Manpower Services, and  A-M Professional Services Corporation to
prevent them from further circumventing government policies that  seek to protect
our household workers from abuse.

Cacdac said the protective mechanism for household service workers is embodied in
a series of resolutions issued by the POEA Governing Board in 2006. The special
issuances provided for the minimum age of 23 years old, minimum entry salary of
US$400, exemption from placement fee, TESDA NCII certification, and OWWA
language and orientation seminars, among others. The resolutions took effect on 16
December 2006.

“The Philippine Senate’s ratification of ILO Convention No. 189 or the Decent Work
for Domestic Workers Convention, which was officially accepted by the International
Labor Organization, further strengthened our resolve to enforce special measures to
safeguard the rights and welfare of our household workers,” Cacdac added.

Cacdac said that from January to September 2012, the POEA has cancelled the
licenses of 10 recruitment agencies charged with violation of specific rules on
household service workers.
Cacdac identified the agencies as Lucky International Placement Services, Inc.,
Dreams Manpower and Recruitment Agency, Multi System Conexions International,
Inc., Hope International Manpower Services, Ritz Manpower Services, Philippine
Integrated Labor Assistance Corporation, Pacific Mediterrenian International Manpower Agency Inc., First Asian Career Solutions, Inc.,  Versatile International  Services, Inc., and M.R.C. Promotion and Management Inc.

In her complaint against Happy World Human Resources and Recruitment Agency,
Rahma I. Ampaso  narrated that she was only 19 years old when she was deployed as
domestic worker to Qatar last year. She escaped from her employer for fear of bodily
harm from the employer’s children who, armed with knives, would enter her room
unannounced even in the wee hours of the morning.

Another OFW,  Nor-Ain Ponding of Davao City, alleged that B&E Overseas M anpower
Services Corporation recruited and deployed her when she was 19 years old. She
reported that she left her employment in Qatar after her employer’s two drivers
attempted molesting her.
Ms. Ponding also charged B&E Overseas Manpower Services Corporation of illegal
exaction of placement fee and misrepresentation.

Two complainants, Rebecca B. Nola and Saguira B. Mamaluba, accused A-M
Professional Services Corporation and AFT International Manpower Services of
falsifying their travel documents, misrepresentation, illegal exaction of placement
fees, and violation of other related rules and regulations.

In their joint statement, Nola and Mamaluba admitted that they were two years
short of the minimum age requirement for household workers when they were
deployed.

Nola alleged that she used a fake birth certificate provided by the recruitment agency
when she applied for her passport in the DFA office in Cotabato City. She said she ran
away from her employer in Qatar because of physical maltreatment.

Mamaluba said she left her Qatari employer after seven months of suffering from
maltreatment. She complained that she was made to work beyond waking hours and
was given insufficient food.

Cacdac said that while the license of the aforementioned agencies is suspended, they
cannot engage in any activity related to recruitment and deployment of overseas
Filipino workers.