Many Filipino workers are looking for a good life for them so they can venture abroad. But this includes going through the proper application process.
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) knows the jobs and who will be the employer of an OFW when they work overseas. The POLO knows if they are legal or not and if they can hire a Foreign Worker.
Before the OFWs leave and fly, their contracts are well and properly signed by POLO and POEA. The contracts signed by workers must be with an English translation and sign it by the employers. The contract must also include a minimum wage, hours of work, leave benefits, mandatory death and accident insurance of at least 300,000NT $ (for Taiwan). Also, the day off of the employees and separation pay in case of termination of contract and many others stated in the law.
Agencies recruiting OFWs must be registered by the POEA and must hold licenses and accreditation. These agencies have vowed that if their employers do not comply with the contract, they will be liable to the workers they employ. The POLO commanded agencies to help the Worker in case of encountered any problem while abroad such as sickness, accidents, and terminations. If they do not do so their contract may be blocklist or suspended at POLO and POEA. And they will not able to recruit any Filipino Workers and most of all their bonds at POEA will become forfeited. Agencies also cannot charge excessive placement fees, when they do that they are liable to POEA.
Because of POLO and POEA preventing abuses against the worker it is far from human trafficking because POLO is well known and aware of employers and agencies brought to the OFW. And they will be liable according to the contract they signed. Once Philippine agencies have been prosecuted in such cases they can also be prosecuted because they have jurisdiction over POLO and POEA. The Embassy of the Philippines and the POLO can quickly help to all workers that encountering a problem in abroad because they hold their records. Contracts signed by the OFW to the employer may be used by POLO and Embassy to defend OFW rights. He will also be able to return home anytime they want due to the OEC issued by the POLO and more importantly many more benefits are provided for OFWs as stated by law.
On the other hand, some Filipino workers do not go through the process due to the desire to work abroad. Those who want to travel to other countries do the same thing.
OFWs who do not go through the proper process are recruited by agencies not registered by the POLO and POEA and without a license and accreditation. And POLO is not known to its employers because POLO has not visited the country and has not checked whether it is legal or not, whether it can hire foreign workers and whether it can provide workers with a home.
The workers’ signed a contract with the employer is false. If any of the above is in the employer’s favor then the workers have nothing against it. The contract did not go through and was not checked by the POLO and POEA so it and the embassy of the Philippines will find it difficult to assist the OFWs in the event of a problem abroad.
The POEA and POLO also do not have a record so that the government of the country will have a hard time giving their full support to the OFW in the case of a crisis. Workers will also be responsive to whatever the employer says. Illegal recruiters, agencies, and employers have no interest in POLO or POEA because they are not registered, unlicensed and not accredited to them so if there’s illegal activity have done overseas our government will be unable to do so because we have no jurisdiction.
All OFWs that cannot go through in the due process, often do not have working permits in the country so TNT can call them. They also have no OEC’s that are being issued by the POLO so they cannot return home immediately. They also do not have OWWA membership, medical, accident, and death insurance. And most of all the worker has the potential to experience any kind of abuse such as physical and sexual harassment, hard labor, human trafficking and much more.
All of this is a warning to OFW’s because the government simply wants the welfare of every Filipino worker anywhere in the world. So always keep in mind that everything you do will go through the process because when you accidentally regret it. So always remember not to cheat on illegal recruits.
