POEA closes 2 placement agencies for illegal recruitment

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) closed on Friday two placement firms without license to recruit and deploy Filipino workers overseas.

POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac identified the agencies as Danz Consultancy Management located at Room 312 C.K. Sy Diamond Building No. 156 Libertad St., Pasay City and LJP Travel Assistance Agency located at 2278-B Onyx Street, Sta. Ana, Manila.

“Prior to the closure, our Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch placed the two establishments under surveillance and investigation after some of their victims reported to POEA their alleged illegal recruitment activities,” Cacdac said.

He said operatives of POEA posed as job applicants and discovered that Danz Consultancy Management was illegally recruiting dairy farmers to Japan and grape pickers to Raffaldini Vineyards Winery in Italy.

A staff from the agency said applicants will be deployed via a direct hiring scheme and payment of the placement fee can be done through a deposit on the account of a certain Mayumi Yupangco.

Meanwhile, LJP Travel Assistance Agency was already closed last May 2013 but it operated again in a different office, recruiting nurses, waiters, room boys and security guards to Palau. The agency allegedly asks P23,000 as placement fee and P4,500 as medical fee from the applicants.

Cacdac said the two recruitment companies violated the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, and will be facing charges for operating without license.