Direct from the ofws

Recruitment of Filipino workers for deployment abroad, by all appearances, and in truth, is a very lucrative business. Recruiters make millions in a matter of few weeks. From the time workers file their job applications up to the time they board the plane, to their respective countries of destinations, and even while they are already doing their work in the host countries, the recruiters continue to collect monthly amortizations of placement fees and other impositions, either through direct salary deductions or via allied lending firms.

The OFWs do pay for every page of the application forms, pay for every photocopied document, for every phograph taken of them, for every envelope, paper clip, bond paper and ballpen issued to them. The recruitment company refers the applicant to an allied medical clinic, and would not accept medical certificates from other clinics. Of course, the clinics and the agencies have syndicated arrangements for sharing of revenues. This scheme is now prohibited by law, Republic Act 10022, but this law, like many others, are better honored in breach than in compliance. The POEA does not have enough manpower nor resources to monitor compliance with recruitment laws and regulations.

The agencies collect from every applicant large sums of money that are either borrowed, or are proceeds of sale of properties, mortgage, pledge or other transactions. The running rates of placement fees range from a low of 60 thousand pesos to a high of 300 thousand pesos, depending on the country of destinations and on the skills of the workers deployed.

There are agencies who earn one thousand dollars for every housemaid deployed to the Middle East. One agency deploys 300 maids a month and thus have a net income of 300 thousand US dollars a month, or a whopping 13.2 million pesos in deploying maids alone. This is net profit, most which may not be declared as income for income tax purposes. Most of these are unreceipted, by the way. Ifthe BIR wants to collect more revenues, this a very good area to look into.

Because most job applicants cannot afford these very onerous placement fees, the agencies would usually refer them to a lending company, which may also be owned by the same controlling interests or are covered by a revenue-sharing scheme similar to that involving medical clinics. These lenders would finance such placement fees, and in exchange of, or as a condition for, these, the OFWs are made to sign written loan agreements collectible by salary deductions, or are covered by post-dated checks. The workers’ income then would mostly go to loan payments and for brokers, and other intermediaries. This is a virtual involuntary servitude or slavery. The workers are beholden to their agencies.

Furthermore, OFWs who are awaiting their deployment schedules are usually being housed in congested houses owned or rented by the agencies and the workers have to pay board and lodging, and training fees for washing the dishes, cleaning the houses and doing laundry for the agency owners. The workers are paying tuition instead of being paid salaries, in the guise of being trained household chores and the use of appliances. If the authorities would only inspect and check on these, many forms of exploitations may be found. We hastened to add, howver, in fairness to all, that not every agency is doing these. There very good and very law-abiding ones. But, for sure, there are many others who are doing such nefarious practices.

In addition to all the above, the agencies in some labor markets, also collect money from the employers as fees for recruting workers for them. and so, these very lucky agencies do earn from both sides, from the workers and from the employers as well.There is no question therefore that recruiters are getting richer and the workers are getting poorer in the course of these schemes. There is nothing wrong in recruiters getting rich. What is wrong is when they acquire wealth at the expense of, or at the much overburdened backs of the poor Filipino migrant workers.

This is a very sad and unfortunate truth that we have to confront and do something about. If we did not, then we allow evil to triumph by not doing what should be done. Again, we hasten to stress that many recruiters are very good, but the industry is being ruined by a few bad eggs.The government and the people should definitely do something about this, and do it immediately.

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