The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has vowed to hold illegal recruiters accountable for preying on Filipinos seeking employment abroad.
Authorities are closely monitoring online job offers and are prepared to go after those operating without proper licenses.
This comes after a recent raid on a learning center involved in the illegal deployment of workers, particularly to Japan.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac warned that individuals caught engaging in illegal recruitment will face criminal charges.
“Our anti-illegal recruitment laws are strong—a mere job offer without a license is already a criminal offense,” Cacdac stated.
The closed learning center was found to be charging applicants a ₱40,000 training fee before referring them to a recruitment agency.
DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan clarified that workers bound for Japan should not be required to pay any fees.
She emphasized that under the agreement between the Philippines and Japan, employers are responsible for covering training costs, including language programs.
“If you already have an employer and are undergoing Japanese language training, you should not be paying a single peso,” Caunan stressed.
The DMW assured the public that it will continue its strict monitoring efforts to combat fraudulent overseas job offers.