As storm-hit residents try to seek jobs abroad to help rebuild families devastated by typhoons Pepeng and Ondoy, many of them are easily lured to jobs abroad that don’t exist at all.
“We continue to receive information about bogus job offers to Malaysia, Maldives, Syria and Italy,” said the foundation’s head, Susan Ople, as she warns that bogus job recruiters take advantage of the apparent desperation of many Filipinos to land jobs abroad.
Some job offers are legitimate, out of compassion to flood and typhoon victims. However, others are meant to lure Filipino jobseekers into international drug, prostitution and human smuggling industry, taking advantage of the dire situation on affected areas.
Some recruiters approach potential victims and sought Filipino applicants with or without experience for an Italian employer, according to a victim in Naga City who was duped for P20,000 which was supposed to be used for visa processing.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Filipinos who do anything or commit to anything as long as they get the job often end up on the losing end.
Human smuggling syndicates in Malaysia offer victims quick deployment with placement fees only paid upon arrival at the workplace. These employees then realize they become victims of forced labor and prostitution in the country.
About 500 Filipinos also got arrested for acting as drug mules – carrying prohibited substances into China (now detains 210), Malaysia, Vietnam and other places in the world. Drug syndicates often take on vulnerable Filipinas as carriers of prohibited drugs.
Job applicants are urged to verify with POEA’s website (www.poea.gov.ph) if recruiters are legitimate or jobs on offer actually exist. POEA has been seeking help from the public on cracking down on illegal recruitment and has been providing aid on those who expose illegal recruitment activities.
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