By Henniequel Shayne G. Acobo
MindaNews
THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has suspended the Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) in some areas, including in Misamis Oriental, following the discovery of 43 individuals from the province who were promised jobs in South Korea by suspected illegal recruiters but were never deployed, an official said Tuesday.
SWP is a bilateral labor and cultural exchange initiative with South Korea, facilitating short-term employment for Filipino agricultural and fisheries workers in Korean rural communities during peak seasons.
Most of the victims are farmers and fisherfolk, who were made to believe they would be hired as seasonal workers abroad and were asked to pay processing fees of around P60,000 each.
DMW-10 Regional Director Emmanuel Toledo said some of the victims had to borrow money, while others even sold livestock to cover the cost.
“Nagtayo sila ng parang office talaga,” (They built what really looked like an office)he said, adding that the scheme was tied to a local chief executive, giving false assurance to the applicants.
DMW’s Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo Para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund assisted the victims, who received P50,000 each in cash aid during the launch of DMW’s new regional office here on Tuesday.
DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the agency was alerted after reports were filed with their office, which prompted them to suspend the SWP in certain local government units (LGUs).
“There is an ongoing investigation involving our SWP with the LGUs, with their counterparts in Korea,” he said.
On whether recruiters have been held to account, Olalia replied: “We conducted an interview and based on our findings, there are certain guilty parties but we all know there is a presumption of innocence. The case is yet to be filed. We will submit the result of our investigation and we will proceed to the prosecutor’s office.”
Aside from suspending the SWP program in LGUs linked to the scheme, including in Misamis Oriental, DMW offered assistance for those who still wish to be deployed to South Korea through proper channels.
Aside from financial aid, the victims will also receive free legal services and support for legitimate overseas employment applications.
Other forms of aid were distributed during the event, including P10,000 livelihood assistance for distressed and undocumented overseas Filipino workers, and P20,000 start-up aid for migrant teachers returning to the Philippines.
The DMW-10 regional office is located along Julio Pacana Street in Cagayan de Oro City and is open to OFWs in Northern Mindanao seeking assistance or filing complaints.
