Manning agencies found recruiting at Luneta face charges


Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said the Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration (POEA) has filed appropriate charges against
19 manning agencies found conducting illegal recruitment activities at
Luneta Seafarer’s Center in Ermita, Manila last week.

Cacdac said he ordered the operatives of POEA’s Operations and
Surveillance Division to assist agents of the Anti-Transnational Crime
Division of PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in
the conduct of a special operation against reported illegal recruitment
activities in the area.

Cacdac said a joint POEA-PNP surveillance team formed for the purpose
posed as applicants and inquired about available seafarer positions from
representatives of several manning agencies present at the Seafarer’s
Center.

The POEA-PNP team reported that the agency representatives handed
them company brochures, calling cards, and flyers listing their respective
job openings.

The report identified the manning agencies discovered recruiting seafarers
at Luneta Seafarer’s Center as Korpil Shipmanagement and Manning
Corporation, Seaboard Maritime, Wallem Maritime Services Inc.,
Avantgarde Shipping Corporation, Univan Management Services Phils Inc.,
Century Maritime Agencies Inc., Solpia Marine and Ship Management Inc.,
Great Swiss Maritime Services Inc., Intercrew Philippines Agency Inc.,
Epsilon Maritime Services Inc., C-Man Maritime Inc., Trans-Global
Maritime Agency Inc., Cardiff Crewing Filipinas Inc., International Ship
Crew Management Phils Inc., Michaelmar Phils Inc., Hanjin Shipping, Evic
Human Resource Management Inc., Morning Mist Maritime Services, and
Seafarers Shipping Inc.

Upon verification with the POEA database, Seaboard Maritime, Hanjin
Shipping, and Morning Mist Maritime Services were found to have no
authority to recruit or deploy Filipino workers overseas. The other
agencies have valid licenses.

Cacdac said all recruitment activities outside the registered offices of a
licensed recruitment or manning agency are deemed illegal without the
special recruitment authority (SRA) issued by the POEA.

SRA is the authority granted by the POEA to a licensed agency to conduct
recruitment outside the registered office or address stated in the license
of an agency or its acknowledged additional office(s).
Cacdac said that for reported recruitment malpractices, the POEA stopped
in May 2009, the issuance of SRA to manning agencies and ordered
those occupying booths at the Luneta Seafarers’ Center to end their
recruitment activities or face administrative sanctions.

The POEA had already suspended the license of 12 manning agencies and
ordered them to pay appropriate fines for recruiting seafarers in the area
without the SRA, Cacdac added.

Instead of going to Luneta to find seafaring jobs, Cacdac advises seafarers
to file their applications directly with licensed manning agencies in their
registered office address which can be found in the POEA website
poea.gov.ph. ###

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