Baguio – Benguet fight illegal recruitment
THE national government’s campaign against illegal recruiters continues with local chief executives of Baguio City and Benguet signing a Memorandum of Agreement to ensure areas in the highlands are illegal recruitment free.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or POEA headed by Anti – Illegal Recruitment Branch Director II Sherilyn Malonzo with OWWA Deputy administrator Arnel Ignacio and Benguet provincial directors of DOLE Emerito Narag and TESDA Manuel Wong joined by Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Benguet Governor Crescencio Pacalso and mayor of 13 municipalities of province in their commitment for the campaign in protecting the country’s present and aspiring migrant workers.
Aside from the illegal recruitment – free LGU campaign, the MOA also included capability building of LGU partners and local stakeholders, public information and worker education on overseas employment, establishment of local
OFW Help Desks and data collection and management on OFW and their families in every partner communities.
Maclonzo stressed commitment to strengthen the countries campaign to protect overseas Filipino workers and those who are planning to work abroad.
“We hope that using this MOA as a platform, our LGU partners and local stakeholders, especially the law enforcement agencies, will lead to more apprehensions and prosecution of illegal recruiters.”
For OWWA, Ignacio outlined aside from their mandate on ensuring OFW welfare and protection, the OWWA is set to include in their scheduled information caravan the campaign against illegal recruiters.
"What we are doing here is a very important undertaking in protecting our OFWs and those who wish to work abroad, thus in recognition of the importance of public information and workers education, we will be engaging the country’s LCEs, barangay captains and community leaders, for them to be in the forefront of sharing knowledge and the right information on overseas employment and our campaign against illegal recruiters.”
The POEA - led activity included capability enhancement for local partners and stakeholders which includes learning sessions on related laws on overseas recruitment, modus operandi of illegal recruiters, OFWs Standard Employment Contract, the role of LGUs in the country’s Overseas Employment Program, POEA’s related legal services and Pre – Employment Orientation Seminar or PEOS, and concerned government agencies programs and services for OFWs.
Benguet Provincial Police Director Senior Superintendent Lyndon Mencio who attended the event explained the PNP's role on illegal recruitment cases in the province.
"We assure our support for OWWA and the POEA in their efforts to help our prospective OFW's to not be victimized by these illegal recruiters. The Benguet Provincial Police Office will always have an open line from OWWA and POEA for any Anti-illegal recruitment operations they may want to conduct.”