Deployment crisis seen on freeze of 50 agencies

MANILA, Philippines - More than 10,000 Filipino workers are barred from leaving the country for overseas jobs after the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) suspended the operations of many local recruitment agencies.

Recruitment consultant Manny Geslani said the recruitment groups blamed the new regulation on renewal of licenses imposed by then Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, which directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that agencies with pending cases should not be forwarded to his office for license renewal.

"Secretary Brion returned around 50 folders to the POEA with instructions that no license should be forwarded to his office if the agency has a pending case," Geslani said.

Brion was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court before the country breaks for the Holy Week.

According to Geslani, the 50 agencies are responsible for the deployment of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) a month and because of the problem on license they cannot operate.

While the POEA permitted the processing of job orders, recruitment companies are not allowed to deploy new job orders since the licenses of the agencies are deemed to have expired and operations like recruitment, placement and processing of new applicants are prohibited.

The recruitment agencies warned that non-renewal of the licenses could result to crisis in deployment if not addressed immediately.

The POEA previously allows renewal of license upon the full compliance of all requirements by the agencies.

Agencies with four or less cases pending are recommended for approval as provided under the POEA guidelines.

But early this year, Brion ordered the centralization of decision making process in the labor department and reverted to his office the signing of new or renewal of licenses.

Meantime, local agencies are appealing to Acting Labor Chief Marianito Roque, Jr and concurrent OWWA Administrator to set aside the rule of Brion as this is totally against the rules of POEA and is an arbitrary act without any legal or moral basis against the recruitment industry.

The agencies also scored Brion for issuing the household service workers rules in 2006 but implemented on March 15, 2007. The ruling raises the minimum salary of domestic helpers from $200 to $400.

This move resulted in the closure and declaration of bankruptcy of over 100 recruitment agencies deploying domestic helpers to the Middle East, Geslani added. - GMANews.TV

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