POEA padlocks illegal recruitment firms

Operatives of the POEA Anti-illegal Recruitment Branch and PNP-MPD headquartersclosed down last week the office of a manning agency allegedly recruiting Filipinoseafarers without license from the Department of Labor and Employment and POEA.  Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said he ordered the closure of  West Coast Maritime Services located at Room 420, 4th Floor, Vicente Madrigal Building, Escolta Street, Manila upon verification of its illegal recruitment activities.

Cacdac said POEA’s AIR Branch agents, after a day-long surveillance, have gathered evidence that West Coast Maritime Services was indeed very active in recruiting  seafarers, promising them jobs in several ocean-going vessels.“West Coast Maritime Services has committed acts of illegal recruitment as definedby Republic Act No. 8042 and the Philippine Labor Code that justified the closure order,” Cacdac said

Other than the closure of its office, the name of West Coast Maritime Services and all its officers and employees will be included in the List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Record, thereby disqualifying them from participating in the overseas employment program of the government.

Earlier, Cacdac has also ordered the closure of  CPG Services International located at 1414 L&S Building, Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila after surveillance and investigation.

The AIR Branch reported that CPG Services has been recruiting Filipino workers for employment as housekeeper in a hotel in Kurdistan, Iraq and charges a placement fee of PhP35,000.00 from applicants.

Cacdac said deployment of OFWs to Iraq, including Kurdistan, is still prohibited in view of the present security alert level and review of the country’s labor and employment policies by the Department of Foreign Affairs.  The POEA has closed seven establishments engaged in illegal recruitment activities from January to October 2012.
Cacdac advised job applicants to validate with the POEA through its website poea.gov.ph or telephone hotlines 7221144 and 7221155 if the recruitment agency has approved job orders and appropriate license to operate

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