THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has padlocked a travel firm in Initao, Misamis Oriental after it was found illegally recruiting workers for overseas jobs.
In a statement, the DMW reported that it shut down Jonieza Joy Travel & Tours Agency & Consultancy last Tuesday as a result of a series of surveillance operations conducted by its Northern Mindanao office.
“This closure operation is an example that the government is dead serious in protecting our OFWs against illegal recruiters, who have been preying on our kababayans,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.
The DMW said the travel agency was found to be illegally recruiting Filipino workers for deployment in Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Romania, Croatia, Malta, Greece, Canada, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It was also found to be illegally offering overseas jobs, such as welders, electrician, locksmiths, greenhouse workers, warehouse workers, cleaners, drivers, factory workers, construction workers, plumbers, service crew, cook, restaurant manager, food attendant, hotel workers, waiters/waitresses, caregivers, and nursing assistants.
The DMW said that in recruiting applicants, the travel agency promise their recruits a monthly salary of P35,000 to P40,000 with bonuses, night shift differential, free medical exam, and food allocations.
The firm also supposedly promises to send their recruits to the destination country in five to eight months, in exchange for P190,000 to P230,000 as processing and placement fees.
