AMID the high demand for workers there, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in Rome on Friday, September 17, 2021, warned aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) against illegal recruiters to Malta.
In a virtual press briefing, Philippine Labor Attache to Rome Haney Siclot said those looking to gain employment in Malta must be vigilant against unscrupulous individuals looking to recruit aspiring OFWs.
"The only challenging part there is to be able to process your deployment the right way and to not be victimized by illegal recruiters," said Siclot.
"Unfortunately, many individuals are taking advantage of the high demand there by asking for high placement fees for illegitimate agencies," she added.
Siclot said it would be better if jobseekers would check first with the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) regarding the validity of the said job orders.
"To those interested, they can go to the POEA website to check on the jobs available here (Malta)," said the labor official.
But as to job availability, she said there is no doubt that there are a lot of employment opportunities in Malta.
"When we asked officials there what are the jobs in demand, they said it is across the board. It is just up to us Filipinos to find the good opportunities in Malta," said Siclot.
Data shows that there are currently 5,800 OFWs in the central Mediterranean state.
Most of the OFWs work in the service sector, such as cleaners and private carers. Some are factory workers and professionals, like accountants and engineers. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)