POEA cancels recruiter’s license

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has barred a recruitment agency from sending Filipino workers abroad for charging excessive placement fees.

POEA chief Hans Cacdac said he cancelled the license of Japhil 2000 International Agency Corp. after it was found guilty of collecting P21,100 from a worker applying for a job in Dubai.

“Japhil collected P21,100 from Honey Lou Gian who applied as a cleaner with a monthly salary of P8,000,” Cacdac said.

He said under the law, a recruitment agency can only charge and collect placement fees equivalent to a worker’s one-month salary.

Gian said the agency promised her a job in Dubai as a cleaner in a hospital or hotel with a monthly salary of 1,500 dirhams or approximately P17,250.

She said she ended up working on an on-call basis for house cleaning services with a monthly salary of 700 dirhams.