The Department of Migrant Workers, in cooperation with the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), and the Manila Police Department, shut down a consultancy firm in Manila on January 05, 2024.
Spearheaded by DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac, the office of Gisgerman Document Facilitation Services (GIS Manila) in Malate, Manila was padlocked. This firm – with no legal license – have been offering jobs to aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as caregivers, nurses and hotel workers in Germany with a language training program that comes with a fee of Php 102,000 and an initial enrollment fee of Php 5,000.
During an interview after the operation, Cacdac shared, “Napag-alaman natin na nagre-recruit, nagre-refer, nangangako. These are elements of recruitment, which means pag ginagawa mo yung referral, promising and offering for employment abroad that’s recruitment and you need a license, and if you don’t have a license that’s illegal recruitment.”
“We will never tolerate any individuals or companies preying on the hope of Filipinos wanting to land a decent job abroad,” said Cacdac.
“Again, I am reiterating this warning to our Kababayans to always check the DMW website (www.dmw gov.ph) for the list of licensed agencies and approved job orders to avoid illegal recruitment,” he added.
The shutdown of GIS Manila leads to the consultancy firm and its officers being added to the DMW “List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Record” to bar their involvement in the government’s overseas recruitment program. They will also face charges of illegal recruitment committed by a syndicate — this is punishable by a fine ranging from Php 2,000,000 to Php 5,000,000, or life imprisonment.
