DOLE intensifies drive vs. illegal recruiters

ORMOC CITY , Philippines — Following President P.Noy Aquino's executive order, the Labor Department has geared itself in its campaign to go after illegal recruiters this year.

Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz, chief of the Employment and Manpower Development, in a press conference yesterday, said, "Task force on illegal recruitment is now in place and will commence anytime soon."

Cruz was in this city as keynote speaker of a conference of managers of Public Employment Services Offices (PESO) in Eastern Visayas that tackled the plight of juvenile victims and the illegal recruitment of 13 farmers here on January 24.

The farmers, four of them from Palo town in Leyte and nine from Tanauan also in Leyte, were brought to Alitagtag, Batangas with the promise of P400 per day wage. They were however paid with only P180 per day.

DOLE-Region 8 director Forter Puguon, who accompanied Cruz, said that with the help of the Batangas provincial government, the farmers, except for one, are now back in Leyte.

DOLE's concern now is to see to it that the 13 farmers will be properly paid and given all due benefits. "The LGUs of origin will be the ones to file the appropriate cases," he said.

Ormoc City Mayor Eric Codilla, in the same gathering, explained to Cruz the reason why residents of this city have been spared from illegal recruiters.

"Providing job opportunities, be it seasonal or tapping the private sector in government livelihood programs, greatly help lessen the vulnerability of would-be victims," Codilla said.