Philippine officials in China raise concern over illegal recruitment

Monday, February 6, 2012

PHILIPPINE officials in China on Monday raised concern over the reported increase in the illegal recruitment of Filipino workers to the country as household workers (HSWs), teachers and musicians.

In a statement, the Philippine embassy and Consulate Generals in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, said they observed an escalating number of illegal recruitment cases in their respective host countries.

They renewed their warning to Filipino workers to be wary of falling prey to unscrupulous parties who offer them jobs as HSWs, teacher and even musicians.

“In the past months, the embassy and the consulates general have assisted and repatriated to the Philippines victims of illegal recruiters who were recruited for non-existing or illegal jobs, and ended up staying in China with inappropriate documentation,” the statement said.

According to reports, the modus operandi of illegal recruiters include promising jobs as HSWs in China despite the prohibition on foreign nationals working in the domestic service sector in China and recruiting workers through agents in Hong Kong and Macau.

Some of the schemes used also are facilitating travel of the recruited individuals to China using tourist visas and via another city in the region, posing as consultancy companies that offer "training seminars" in China for professional positions and recruiting workers via the Internet.

“The public is advised to be wary of offers for employment in semi-skilled jobs in China as these sectors remain restricted and closed to foreigners,” the statement said.

The Philippine officials, however, assured that the country’s embassy in Beijing and consulate generals in Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Macau “continue to assist and repatriate Filipinos who find themselves in difficult situations as a result of their illegal recruitment.”

The Office of the Philippine Police Liaison Attache in Beijing also works closely with the embassies and consulate generals to aid Filipino victims of recruitment scams.

“They also continue to coordinate with the local Chinese authorities on the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of these illegal recruiters,” the statement added.

Philippine officials advised the public to report activities of individuals and recruitment agencies who may be engaged in illegal recruitment to relevant authorities, including the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (OUMWA-DFA).

In Hong Kong, suspected illegal recruiters can be reported to the Assistance to Nationals section at +852-9155-4023 or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office at +852-6080-8323 of the Philippine Consulate General or e-mail hongkongpc@philcongen-hk.com. (CVB/Sunnex)