Recruitment firm accused of worldwide scam

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos aspiring to work overseas should avoid dealing with a recruitment agency that has duped jobseekers worldwide, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said yesterday.

The National Bureau of Investigation has padlocked Global Visas Inc., which is based in Cebu.

Baldoz said the agency’s parent company, ICS Global Visas Inc. based in the United Kingdom, has reportedly collapsed and left thousands of applicants without jobs.

The agency operates globally as an immigration service provider, but also recruits workers from various countries.

 “Global Visas was in the limelight this week, following its reported collapse. It has victims here in the Philippines, particularly in Luzon, Cebu and Mindanao,” Baldoz said.

She said some of the victims in Cebu have filed cases of estafa and illegal recruitment against the company.

Baldoz reminded the public to be cautious in dealing with recruiters, saying they should only deal with agencies licensed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and those with specific job orders. 

Baldoz said applicants should not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring them to reply to a Post Office or PO box and send payments to process their papers.

The POEA also clarified that they are requiring recruitment agencies and not domestic workers to have Facebook accounts.

POEA chief Hans Cacdac said the directive is in keeping with their mandate to protect workers’ interests.

He said the recruitment agency’s Facebook account would be required in the processing of the documents of domestic helpers.

Recruitment and placement agencies, Cacdac said, are urged to share their Facebook accounts with the POEA and their deployed domestic workers.