POEA advice to overseas work applicants: Check for job orders

CEBU, Philippines – Though the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration is out to look for the benefits of the employment programs of workers, its main concern is still on curbing illegal recruitment.

POEA-7 lawyer Roy Ligad reminded those who seek employment abroad to always make sure that their agencies are listed and licensed with the POEA and if these have job orders.

Although a lot of jobseekers are already very cautious of the proper procedures, through information drives conducted by various agencies aside from the POEA and with the help of the media, there are still those who are misled by unauthorized agencies.

Ligad assured that they are careful in the deployment of workers saying that “dili man ta mo-deploy sa mga countries nga ang mga rights sa workers dili protected.”

In the case of entertainers for Japan, for example, Ligad said that they have stopped sending workers for the said position but there are still those who chose to go and work there.

“Anha na diha mosulod ang illegal recruitment,” Ligad said.

Further, the POEA reported of an increase in the number of Cebuanos that left to work overseas since last year. Ligad said that from 18,745 workers the figure rose to 23,047 which posted 18.67 percent increase. These are mostly skilled workers.

Also, deployment of workers who went abroad for the first time rose by 10.23 percent or 1,876 individuals from 1,684 last year.

Aside from this, there has been a demand of nurses in other countries like Canada despite claims that quite a number of nursing graduates have no jobs right now because of the reported decrease in employment opportunities.

There are countries that have announced their need for health care employees like nurses, Ligad pointed out.

This is also because of the skills of the Filipino nurses, value for hard work, and the warm treatment for other people, he added. – AJ dela Torre/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)