POEA strengthens anti-illegal recruitment campaign

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, in 2018, has stepped up the government’s
campaign against illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons.

It has forged partnerships with 51 local government units (LGUs) and private groups with
memorandum of agreements that sought to engage their participation and commitment to protect
their communities against illegal recruitment activities.

The Administration conducted 51 Anti-Illegal Recruitment (AIR) seminars to law enforcers,
government prosecutors, PESO managers and LGU officials. The seminars cover laws on illegal
recruitment and human trafficking , modus operandi of illegal recruiters and the proper handling of
illegal recruitment cases.

The POEA also conducted 25 capability building and enhancement trainings to some 1,500
participants that include PESO managers, local government/barangay officials, school guidance
counsellors and students. The capability training sessions are conducted to impart to the participants
the government’s overseas employment policies and programs, laws on illegal recruitment and
trafficking in persons, and current overseas job market trends.

In cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the POEA organized a national
campaign called “Roundup of Stakeholders against Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in
Minors/Underage Migrant Female Domestic Workers” which was initially conducted in selected
provinces in Mindanao.

Mindanao was identified as the campaign’s priority area because of reports of massive recruitment of
underage female workers from the said region for deployment in Middle East countries.
The ILO-sponsored project was held in Glan, Sarangani Province; Cotabato City; Parang, Pigcawayan
and Buluan in Maguindanao; and Nunungan, Lanao del Norte.

The primary goal of the campaign was to involve members of the local communities in monitoring
overseas employment recruitment activities and implementing anti-illegal recruitment and anti-trafficking programs in their respective localities.

The assembly of local stakeholders has been designed to inform local community leaders about the
incidence of illegal recruitment of minor and under-aged domestic workers, particularly about the
dangers of deploying under-aged domestic workers abroad. It also aims to enhance community
awareness about existing welfare and employment services and to involve local communities in
monitoring illegal recruitment and human trafficking activities to support relevant programs of the
government. /END

Ref:http://www.poea.gov.ph/news/2018/PR_December%202018_AIR%20Campaign.pdf