Illegal recruiters may target typhoon victims - DOLE

MANILA, Philippines - Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz on Monday cautioned displaced victims of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) against illegal recruiters who may exploit those affected by calamities.

In a statement on Monday, Baldoz said that unscrupulous individuals tend to prey on those most desperate to find jobs.

"Residents of Eastern Visayas composed of the provinces of Eastern Samar, Western Samar, and Leyte, as well as of other neighboring provinces severely affected by typhoon Yolanda are more vulnerable to illegal job offers," she said.

She said that the warning applies not only to those who decided to remain in disaster areas, but also those who flew to Manila or Cebu for refuge.

Victims of the recent 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Central Visayas should also be wary, she added.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration chief Hans Leo Cacdac echoed the warning, advising calamity survivors to seek inquire in labor bureaus on whether a particular recruiter is from a bogus organization.

"I advise applicants from the calamity areas to verify with the POEA, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, or the Department of Labor and Employment if the recruiter has a valid license or authorization to recruit OFWs before accepting any job offer," he said.

Non-profit organization Plan International had similarly sought the protection of children in disaster areas, especially those who have lost their parents and kin, as they are most prone to exploitation and abuse.

“In times of disasters, children are the most vulnerable, particularly to malnutrition, disease, disruption to education, and potential abuse and exploitation," Carin van der Hor, country director of Plan Philippines, said following the Bohol earthquake.

"We have seen children’s vulnerability in Cagayan and Iligan during Typhoon Sendong. Plan hopes to mitigate this vulnerability in Negros,” she added.

Over 4 million people have been displaced by the recent calamity with 581,806 homes destroyed by the powerful typhoon, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.