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| Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre |
By Vir B. Lumicao
Two Hong Kong employment agencies have been suspended by the
Philippine Overseas Labor Office from processing Filipino domestic workers’ contracts in
a crackdown on recruiters luring OFWs here with jobs in Russia and Turkey .
The two agencies are Good Family Employment Agency Co Ltd,
which has been recruiting OFWs for deployment in Russia ,
and C.U Consultant & Employment Services, or CUCES, which is offering jobs
in Turkey .
“We will not tolerate any wrongdoing of any employment
agency accredited with POLO Hong Kong,” Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre told
The SUN on Aug 17.
“Third-country deployment is contrary to the POEA (Philippine
Overseas Employment Administation) Rules and Regulations, and undermines the
sanctity of employment contracts in Hong Kong .
Let this be a warning to other accredited employment agencies,” he said.
POEA bans third-country recruitment of Filipinos, saying
this exposes workers to risks such as exploitation and human trafficking, as
the jobs do not go through the verification process.
Labatt Dela Torre suspended Good Family, which has its
offices at Jade Centre, Kennedy Town , on Aug 10 after receiving reports that it was
recruiting workers for Russia.
He followed that up on Aug 17 by suspending CUCES, which has
been trying to lure OFWs here with “lots of opportunities” in Turkey and
eligibility for residence visa after five years of working there.
Two days earlier, Labatt Dela Torre posted on his Facebook
page a screengrab of another FB post by CUCES inviting jobseekers to apply for
work in Turkey .
The agency also posted on its website a poster inviting
jobseekers to an interview and orientation on Aug 20 in its Wanchai office
where five Turkish recruiters are to join CUCES owner Ugur Akin in briefing the
workers on living and working in Turkey .
The recruiter was offering monthly salaries of US$700 to
US$1,000 for nannies plus their “own room and free wi-fi”, amenities that most foreign
helpers in Hong Kong can only dream of.
