DMW to run after recruitment agencies charging fees for Qatar-bound workers By GISELLE OMBAY, GMA Integrated News

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday it will hunt recruitment agencies that are requiring “processing fees” or any kind of service fee from Filipinos intending to work in Qatar. At the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac reiterated the “no placement fee policy” for Filipino workers set to be deployed to Qatar. “May konsepto sa batas, hindi masyadong mahalaga ang tawag do’n sa bagay na ‘yun kundi ano ‘yung gamit o purpose nung paniningil o pananaga—if I could use that term,” said Cacdac, who is a lawyer himself. (There is a concept in the law; the name of a thing is not very important, but its use or purpose.) “Ang esensya nito, hindi pwedeng maningil ang recruitment agency for their services doon sa job applicant kasi bawal on both sides—the Qatari side and the Philippine side,” he added. (The essence of this is that the recruitment agency cannot charge the job applicant for their services because it is prohibited on both sides—the Qatari side and the Philippine side.) According to the DMW, the “no placement fee policy” is in accordance with Article 33 of Qatar Law No. 14 of 2004. Qatar Law prohibits licensed recruitment agencies from collecting payment for recruitment fees, expenses, or other associated costs from workers coming from abroad. It was raised to Cacdac during the Kapihan session that some recruitment agencies use the term “processing fee" for collecting money from Filipino workers instead of “placement fee.” The DMW chief said regardless of the word used, the practice is still considered “illegal.'' “Kung ang tawag diyan ay processing fee, kahit ano pang tawag diyan, pero ang purpose ay para bayaran ang agency sa kaniyang serbisyo o kita ng isang agency do’n sa pagbigay niya ng serbisyo, ‘yan ay bawal kasi ang patakaran on both sides is employer-based principle, which means dapat sinisingil yan do’n sa employer na makikinabang sa serbisyo ng OFW,” he said. (If that's called a processing fee or whatever, but the purpose is to pay the agency for its service, then that's prohibited because the policy is based on an employer-based principle, which means that the fee should be charged to the employer who will benefit from the OFW's service.) “So whatever the name of the fee is called, if it is along those same lines or purpose, then that’s illegal, and we will run after the agency that does so, that charges those fees,” he continued. The DMW had said that those who violate the no placement fee policy will face a penalty of cancellation of license. — VBL, GMA Integrated News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UP Diliman Professors Share Scientists’ Procurement Struggles at Senate Hearing

By Harvey Sapigao Senate hearing of the revised procurement law (Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines) College of Science (CS) Dean Giovanni Tapang held up a little white device as he finished his presentation. “This is a ₱150,000 component,” he described. “Isa lang gumagawa nito sa buong mundo, pero ang hirap pilitin sila na magregister sa PhilGEPS,” he continued, referring to the requirement that foreign companies must first register to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) before they can sell products to local scientists. Marine Science Institute (MSI) Deputy Director Dr. Irene Rodriguez explained that the small device is a resin that filters metals in water. “May budget tayo,” she said, “pero ang problema ko ay ‘yung resin na ito.” This and other bottlenecks brought about by the procurement law, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), slow down research and development in the country. UPD leaders were invited to the Senate he
Read more

How war is putting Middle East aviation at risk ---AL JAZEERA

The human suffering in Gaza is accompanied by losses that are undermining this vital industry With more than 40 years' experience in aviation, including a stint as chief executive Bahrain's Gulf Air and sitting on the International Air Transport Association's Board of Governors, Royal Jordanian’s CEO Samer Majali is someone who knows the industry in the Middle East – and its challenges – like few others. In an exclusive interview with The National yesterday, he spoke for many executives when he described how six months of violence in Israel and Palestine had hurt his airline and the region’s economy. While the human cost is, of course, the biggest, and Palestinian society is bearing the brunt of this war, its consequences are far reaching. The plummeting bookings, operational difficulties and financial losses being experienced by the aviation sector are being exacerbated by a widespread perception that the Middle East is in turmoil. “They lump the region as a homogeneous
Read more

Azerbaijan looks to enhance ties with Kuwait --- By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kuwait Emil Karimov stated that the strong and historical ties between Kuwait and Azerbaijan pave the way for further strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors. During an iftar held by the embassy for local media, the ambassador said “With a focus on tourism, food, and education, both countries are poised to enhance collaboration and mutual exchange of expertise.” He noted that 30,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited Azerbaijan during the past year. Regarding the trade between the two countries, the ambassador said that the volume of trade exchange for the year 2023 reached $665,000 and Azerbaijan is keen to increase trade exchange with Kuwait. He said the Kuwaiti side has expressed an interest in importing food products from Azerbaijan, signaling a desire to diversify its sources of agricultural goods and strengthen economic ties to enhance trade relations. To deepen cultural understanding and foster people-to-people connections between the t
Read more