By Junex Doronio

MANILA — After receiving reports of “third-country recruitment” for alleged employment in Canada, Poland, Germany, and Malta, the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) has warned the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Singapore against illegal recruitment schemes in exchange for an exorbitant fee.

The MWO Singapore cautioned the OFWs to only transact with recruitment agencies with valid job orders approved by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in the Philippines.

“Under these schemes, recruiters target already employed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), particularly household service workers, by posting online alleged job vacancies in the aforementioned countries. They then charge exorbitant fees for the supposed processing of visas and other documentary requirements,” the MWO Singapore warned in its advisory on Friday (7 June 2024).

It added that OFWs can also verify job offers through DMW’s official website.

“After payment, the recruiters disappear. In the worst cases, OFWs leave their current employment only to find out upon reaching the destination country that the promised job does not exist,” the MWO Singapore said.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

DESPITE THE RAGING ARMED CONFLICT, more than 16,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) opted to stay in Lebanon as only six of them arrived in the Philippines early Friday morning.

Maharlika NuMedia learned that there are 17,000 Filipinos in Lebanon. Of the number, only about a hundred have requested for repatriation.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega earlier disclosed that many OFWs have decided to stay in Lebanon because of work, while some believe that the situation in Beirut is “business as usual.”

“We hope mas maraming sasagot dito at makauwi,” De Vega said.

The Philippine government placed Lebanon under Alert Level 3 on October 21, signifying voluntary repatriation.

The six OFWs arrived via Flight EK336 which departed from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3  past 6 a.m.

The returning OFWs composed the first batch of repatriates from Lebanon amid the ongoing armed clashes there between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

(ai/mnm)