The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has cautioned aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) amid reports of Filipinos asked to married Chinese nationals in exchange of jobs overseas.
The warning was issued following reports released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) after five Filipino women in China sought government assistance in their repatriation.
They were stranded in Tongxu, Henan province after being scammed by two Chinese nationals, Song Gang and Li Chunrong a.k.a. Steven Lee.
The two Chinese nationals allegedly promised to give the Filipinas jobs in China after marrying a Chinese national.
One of the victims said Lee and his wife, Violeta Aquino, arranged her marriage to a Chinese national named Wei Qi Lai who was then staying in Pangasinan as a tourist.
Lee allegedly promised to give her family a dowry of Php140,000 after their marriage. However, her family only received Php100,000 after deducting expenses for the wedding reception and processing of her travel documents.
They were married in Pangasinan on September 11, 2017, and she left for China on a tourist visa with her husband on November 13, 2017. The couple then stayed with Wei Qi Lai’s family in Zhangzhou.
However, the job that was promised to the Filipina was fake. Her Chinese husband also did not allow her to look for jobs.
The Filipina was also subjected to physical and sexual abuse during the first year of her stay with her husband. She, however, managed to escape on April 23, 2018.
The DFA reported that they have recorded 23 Filipino women who married Chinese nationals for the opportunity to get employment in China.
In addition, the Filipino victims found out that their spouses do not have the financial capability to support their respective families in the Philippines contrary to what was promised by their recruiters.
