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Monday, March 24, 2008
Over 10T OFWs can't leave RP
MANILA -- More than 10,000 Filipino workers are barred from leaving the country for overseas jobs after the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has suspended the operations of some local recruitment agencies.
Recruitment consultant Manny Geslani said the recruitment groups blamed the new regulation on renewal of licenses imposed by then labor secretary now Supreme Court (SC) Justice Arturo Brion which directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) not to forward to the labor office for license renewal the agencies with pending cases.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
"Secretary Brion returned around 50 folders to the POEA with instructions that no license should be forwarded to his office if the agency has a pending case," Geslani said.
According to Geslani, the 50 agencies are responsible for the deployment of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) a month.
While the POEA was permitted to job orders processing, recruitment companies are not allowed to deploy new job orders since their licenses are deemed to have expired. Operations like recruitment, placement and processing of new applicants are also prohibited.
The recruitment agencies warned that non-renewal of the licenses could result in deployment crisis if not addressed immediately.
The POEA, which processes the renewal of the agencies' license, previously allows license renewal upon the full compliance of all requirements by the recruitment firms.
Agencies with four or less pending cases are recommended for approval as provided under the POEA guidelines.
But early this year, Brion ordered the centralization of decision-making process in the labor department and reverted to his office the signing of new or renewal of licenses.
Meantime, local agencies are appealing to current Labor Secretary Marianito Roque Jr. to set aside the rule of Brion as "this is totally against the rules of the POEA and is an arbitrary act without any legal or moral basis against the recruitment industry."
The hiring agencies also criticized Brion for issuing the household service workers rules in 2006 where he raises the minimum salary of domestic helpers from US$200 to US$400.
This move resulted in the closure and declaration of bankruptcy of over 100 recruitment agencies deploying domestic helpers to the Middle East, Geslani added. (MSN/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (March 24, 2008 issue)
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