Migrant Workers Secretary Susana “Toots” Ople (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has shut down the operations of a maritime consultancy firm in Sta. Cruz, Manila, for alleged illegal recruitment activities.
In a statement on Thursday, the DMW said it padlocked the JCB-Success Maritime Consultancy Services office on Wednesday afternoon, following the order of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople.
“We encourage victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking to report these crimes to us. Workers’ protection is one of the core functions of the DMW,” Ople said.
According to the DMW, the consultancy firm is a bogus agency offering jobs such as deck seafarers, capable engine seafarers, oilers, engineers, and yacht stewards.
Upon investigation, the maritime firm was operating without a permit from DMW.
The firm claims to have deployed applicants since November 2022.
One of the victims, Manuel Jericho L. Ramos applied for a job as an engine cadet with the JCB a year and a half ago.
He and three applicants were promised deployment within three months and were asked P75,000 placement fee.
Ramos received travel documents in August of last year, but it appeared that the visa had been tampered with.
He reported their predicament to the DMW in October 2022, when their waiting time for deployment grew longer than expected, making them suspicious about the agency’s legitimacy.
According to DMW, JCB-Success Maritime Consultancy Services is barred from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program. The department said the firm’s owner, employees, and officers would be included in the government’s list of persons and establishments with derogatory records.
The DMW plans to file charges against the owner and officers of the firm for illegally recruiting workers without permit.– Meralyn Melitante, Inquirer.net trainee
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