Still no ‘walk-in’ jobs in Haiti, RP post reiterates

The Philippine Embassy in Cuba has reiterated its warning against individuals promising jobs in quake-ravaged Haiti, after two Filipinos fell prey to illegal recruitment and are now stranded in Caribbean country. The Embassy issued the warning anew after Fr. Andrew Labatorio, a Filipino community leader in Haiti, reported that two Filipinos arrived in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, according to a release posted on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Embassy believes the two are a part of a group of 15 people who were victimized by the same recruiter. The two Filipino victims arrived in Haiti on May 23. They were recruited by a certain Marla Consolacion, also known as Marla Wong or Marla Habas, a resident of Parañaque and Laguna, according to the Embassy. The recruiter allegedly promised them jobs in Haiti, supposedly with a Korean company with a salary of US$3,000 (about P139,000) a month. The victims said they gave the recruiter at least P5,000 each. The Embassy also found out that the recruiter has Filipino accomplices in Manila and in Haiti. The two Filipino victims are now stranded in Port-au-Prince, penniless and dependent on the Filipino community’s support for them to survive, while awaiting repatriation to Manila. "There are no available 'walk-in' jobs in Haiti," said Philippine Ambassador to Cuba Dr. Macarthur Corsino. “Job opportunities available require technical skills and hiring thru pre-arranged contracts with reconstruction-related companies. Some 52 workers arrived in the country who are legally hired using this process," he added. Haiti was ravaged by a 7-magnitude earthquake on January 12 that killed more than 250,000 people. Earlier this year, Philippine Honorary Consul in Haiti Fitzgerald Brandt reported another incident of two Filipinos being stranded penniless in a beach resort in Port-au-Prince after being promised jobs in the country. (See: Pinoys warned against job offers in quake-ravaged Haiti) The Embassy advised jobseekers to first verify any job offer and company with the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV