COA: POEA failed to do its job

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) appears to have been remiss in its duties since 64 recruitment agencies with expired, suspended, or cancelled licenses are still operating in the country, the Commission on Audit (COA) said in a report released yesterday.

State auditors said the POEA failed to implement sanctions imposed on erring agencies.

The POEA said that as of Dec. 31, 2013, there were 1,223 licensed recruitment and manpower agencies deploying Filipinos for overseas employment.

The COA, however, said the agency approved provisional licenses to 35 newly opened recruitment agencies. Seven agencies, however, failed to get full licenses but continued to operate even after their provisional license expired as of March 22, 2014.

The COA report identified these recruitment agencies as A&S Manpower Resources Inc., ETT Innovative Manpower Solutions Inc., Global Hospitality Placement Agency Phils. Inc., Human Resources Overseas Employment Agency Inc., I Employ Manpower Services Inc., Orion Site Medlink International Resourcing Inc., and Quaestus International Placement Services.

The COA also said a random check – conducted from March 24 to 26 last year – of 57 recruitment agencies whose licenses had been suspended or cancelled in 2013 showed that these agencies were still accepting applicants.

Among the suspended agencies that were inspected were Mclaine Management Consultancy Group Inc. in Ermita, Manila; Al-Ahram Int’l. Group Services also in Ermita, Manila; Access Africa Human Resources Corporation in Legaspi Village, Makati; and HRHA Manpower Int’l. Inc. in Malate, Manila.

The POEA told state auditors that under a 2003 resolution, the POEA administrator may extend an agency’s provisional license for another six months.

The extension was granted to I Employ Manpower Services Inc., Orion Site Medlink International Resourcing Inc. and Quaestus International Placement Services while A&S Manpower Services Inc., ETT Innovative Manpower Solution Inc., Global Hospitality Placement Agency Phils. Inc. and Human Resources Overseas Employment Agency Inc. were delisted from the roster of licensed recruitment agencies on April 21, 2014. 

“As a matter of procedure, all delisted and cancelled agencies are referred to our Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch for surveillance to verify whether or not these agencies are still engaged in recruitment activities,” POEA officials said.

They assured the COA that they shall “exert utmost effort” in implementing the rules and regulations governing the recruitment and deployment of overseas workers.