Rep. Beltran warns against online recruitment
08/23/2007 | 04:45 PM
A lawmaker fears the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) approval of online hiring of overseas Filipino workers could make job hunters more vulnerable to illegal recruitment than they ever were.
Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran said that POEA’s go-signal for online hiring could encourage the proliferation of illegal recruitment syndicates.
"Kung sa personal marami nang naloloko ang mga illegal recruiter, ano pa kaya sa Internet. Mas vulnerable at walang habol ang mga manggagawa sa mga online illegal recruiter (If personal recruitment has victimized many jobseekers, how much more for online recruitment? Victims of illegal recruitment through the Internet have no recourse at all)," Beltran pointed out.
"To ensure the safety and protection of job-seeking Filipinos from fraudulent online recruiters, it would be better if the Department of Labor and Employment and POEA would give accreditation to online recruiters who will pass their standards. The guideline for online hiring issued by POEA is not enough," he said.
The POEA does not even make assurances that it will go after illegal online recruiters if and when they succeed in fooling Filipinos, he added.
The lawmaker admitted that the Internet technology helps job hunters find employment targets, but there are disadvantages to it.
"Fly-by-night recruiters and syndicates can easily put up a website as fronts for illegal activities such as white slavery, mail-to-order brides, prostitution, trafficking in humans and financial scams," he stressed.
He cited old tactics of online illegal recruiters wherein they set up a website and upload fabricated testimonials and photos to make their site look credible. Later on, he said, they will ask potential applicants to pay placement and processing fee to speed up the hiring.
Beltran has this piece of advice to online job hunters: Check job listings on official government sites and other reputable jobsites. - Luis Gorgonio, GMANews.TV
Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran said that POEA’s go-signal for online hiring could encourage the proliferation of illegal recruitment syndicates.
"Kung sa personal marami nang naloloko ang mga illegal recruiter, ano pa kaya sa Internet. Mas vulnerable at walang habol ang mga manggagawa sa mga online illegal recruiter (If personal recruitment has victimized many jobseekers, how much more for online recruitment? Victims of illegal recruitment through the Internet have no recourse at all)," Beltran pointed out.
"To ensure the safety and protection of job-seeking Filipinos from fraudulent online recruiters, it would be better if the Department of Labor and Employment and POEA would give accreditation to online recruiters who will pass their standards. The guideline for online hiring issued by POEA is not enough," he said.
The POEA does not even make assurances that it will go after illegal online recruiters if and when they succeed in fooling Filipinos, he added.
The lawmaker admitted that the Internet technology helps job hunters find employment targets, but there are disadvantages to it.
"Fly-by-night recruiters and syndicates can easily put up a website as fronts for illegal activities such as white slavery, mail-to-order brides, prostitution, trafficking in humans and financial scams," he stressed.
He cited old tactics of online illegal recruiters wherein they set up a website and upload fabricated testimonials and photos to make their site look credible. Later on, he said, they will ask potential applicants to pay placement and processing fee to speed up the hiring.
Beltran has this piece of advice to online job hunters: Check job listings on official government sites and other reputable jobsites. - Luis Gorgonio, GMANews.TV
