DESPITE numerous advisories issued by the Philippine government, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople yesterday said the third country hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remains to be a challenge for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
In an interview with reporters, Ople said they have yet to solve the problem of illegal recruitment of OFWs via a third country.
“This refers to OFWs, for example, in Hong Kong that are being recruited to work in Russia via the social media. That is a real problem,” she added.
In the past, the then Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has warned OFWs against third country hiring schemes of illegal recruiters.
Among the OFWs targeted in the past are those working in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Cyprus, who are lured to transfer to another country such as the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, Turkey, and Russia.
As an immediate solution to the problem, Ople said the DMW is looking at filing charges against illegal recruiters operating in the Filipino workers’ host countries.
She said this is better than bringing home the OFW victim before the government runs after the perpetrators.
“The department is planning to file cases onsite against illegal recruiters and human traffickers. We shall build cases against perpetrators onsite. We shall use the law of the host government to obtain justice for the aggrieved or distressed OFW,” Ople said.
