THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) suspended the recruitment licenses of three leading hiring agencies based in Metro Manila.
In a statement, POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili announced the preventive cancellation of permits of Prime Stars International Promotion Corporation; Friendship International Manpower Services, Inc.; and Warwick International Recruitment Agencies Philippines, Inc.
“The recruitment violations incurred by the recruitment agencies consist of excessive collection of allowable fees to charging of fees without the issuance of an appropriate receipt,” noted Manalili.
The POEA official said the suspension is in accordance with the reinforced campaign of the government versus against illegal recruitment.
“In line with President Benigno Aquino III’s directive for POEA to intensify its efforts to safeguard the welfare and to protect overseas Filipino workers, we will continue to pursue and enhance its workers education program and anti-illegal recruitment campaign so applicants are more informed and safeguarded,” said Manalili.
Prime Stars is a recruitment firm incorporated by a group of experienced OFWs and is based in Malate, Manila with the primary purpose of providing job opportunities abroad especially in Japan and Taiwan.
The Ermita, Manila-based Friendship, on the other hand, is solely conceived and managed by a certain Charito L. Palo and is primarily catering on recruiting OFWs to the Asian, Middle East & Pacific regions.
For its part, Warwick is a private corporation based in Makati City that claims to specialize in sending OFWs to United Kingdom, specifically in the sector of hotel and restaurant as well as nurses and caregivers.
Manalili, then, advised aspiring overseas Filipino workers to make sure that the recruitment firms they are dealing with are approved by the POEA. (AMN/Sunnex)