i just want to know where could we seek help because we are also victims of this case. we are ADMAN applicants and being catered by 'Ms.Becka' and 'Baste' way back 2008 in the Philippines. 30 of us flew to the US last October 2008.We were said to work in one of Holiday Inn in FLORIDa but apparently they didnt recognize us. We went to check our petitioner but there is no existing office. We ended up being absorb by a third party agency claiming that our petitioner is one of their branches but then they couldnt provide us job so all of us individually seek help from our relatives and friends here. we suffered a lot from this scam.
30 more Pinoys duped by traffickers in Florida
Nov 19, 05:07 PM
By JUN MEDINA
Another big group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were brought to Florida under the U.S. temporary guest worker program has fallen victims to alleged human traffickers who exploited and abused them.
Marilyn Santos (not her real name) told the FILAM Star in interviews and emails how she and about 30 other Filipino workers were duped into shelling out $6,000 each by Adman Resources for non-existent jobs in Florida hotels.
Santos said she mustered enough courage to come out in the open after reading the FILAM Star human trafficking expose involving the escape of 11 OFWs from harsh working conditions in Biloxi, Mississippi.
These 11 workers now referred to as the "Biloxi 11" by Filipino Americans who have come to their help, were also recruited by Adman and were supposedly petitioned by a reputable global US professional staffing company but ended up worker for another manpower company in Mississippi that the workers claimed had exploited them.
The workers have banded themselves into a group called "Luha Ko," even as various Los Angeles area FilAm groups have given then shelter and provided them subsistence under Task Force Kapatid Ko (My Brother, My Own) led by Filipino Migrant Center president Tony Dorono.
'Modern-day slavery'
Santos' story unveiled a web of deceit and human abuse that lend credence to U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton's apt description of human trafficking "as a form of modern-day slavery."
Sometime in mid 2008, Santos and her group of wide-eyed workers in search of the proverbial greener pasture had responded to newspaper ads placed by Adman about the availability high-paying jobs in the American hospitality industry.
What made the job offers look really attractive is that those who pre-qualified and have paid six-figure "placement fees" were then endorsed to the U.S. Embassy in Manila by the recruiters for interviews to have their H2B visas processed.
"Honestly, the prospect of working in the US is what has driven us to borrow money to raise the $6,000 Adman was asking from us to facilitate and complete our applications," said Santos, whose family raised the amount from borrowings from their relatives.
But another member of their group Kyle Salonga (not his real name) said in a phone interview from Florida that he was referred by Adman to two lending agencies — a certain Philand and one Global Lending — to raise the amount needed to pay the $6,000 placement fees.
"I have no choice but to continue working here, taking odd jobs so I could pay off my loans and send whatever money I can to my family," said Salonga, who left his wife, two sons and a daughter with ages 5 to 10 in the Philippines.
Like Santos, Salonga said he has been waiting for the opportune moment to "expose our exploiters" and step out of the fringes of the underground American job market.
Modus operandi
Santos, who now works as a nursing assistant in the San Francisco Bay Area, described the modus operandi of the alleged traffickers.
"After we responded to the newspaper ads, we were asked to go through an initial interview during which we were asked to pay P70,000 upfront for the pre-processing of our applications.
"Then we were invited as a group to briefings, during which a certain David 'Dave' Maligalig, would brief us about the attracting job contracts being finalized by Adman in Orlando, Florida. He would even talk about the weather to make his briefings quite realistic."
After the US visa has been approved, the applicants were then asked to cough up with the biggest chunk of their "placement fee," that ranges from P150,000 to P200,000, Santos said.
"Once we settled our placement fees, they booked us for flight schedule," Santos continued. "In the airport, [just before we board the plane] they will hand us the envelopes containing the so called contract and job petitioner info, itinerary, and other documents from the Department of Labor."
Since their travel documents were genuine, the workers had no problem getting through U.S. immigration, Santos and Salonga said.
Ordeal begins
But their ordeal began as soon as they reached Orlando, their supposed job destination, after a long flight with stop over in Guam, change of plane in Hawaii, another stopover in Texas, Santos said.
"Nobody from our employer met us in the airport. There was this housing owner who will suppose to meet us, but he did not show up," Santos narrated. "So our group of five decided to go to WB Improvement office in 2832 Ripton Court, Orlando."
What they found in that address was an apartment complex. They tried asking around, if there might be an office of WB Improvement there, but the persons they inquired from said there's not such company in that residential complex.
After call the first batch which came a few days ahead of them, Santos they were told it might be a good idea to proceed to a place where they could find lodging.
"The person we met at the address given us told us we were to pay $400 each for lodging, and that he was there only to help us get a place to live in as arranged by Mr. Dave (David Maligalig)," Santos said.
"When we asked where we are going to work, the guy told us, that's not his business and his only concern is about housing."
Series of misfortunes
From thereon, it was a series of one misfortune after another for the workers.
After repeated text messages and phone calls to Adman, Santos' group was told to report to a certain TWSO Manpower agency on Universal Boulevard in Orlando, which in turn endorsed them to VR Staffing Agency also located in the same vicinity.
Suspicious, Santos said she asked the VR staff where their job petitioner, WB Improvement Inc., could be found, only to be told that VR is a "sister company of WB and every thing was fine."
Left with no other choice, Santos said their group filled up new applications and were referred to local area hotels which hired them when they needed extra hands, like when there were functions or big event in these hotels.
"I was called to work for a day in a certain hotel and that's all [I got] for my first month. I got a check for less than $50, which is not even enough to pay a fraction to my $400 monthly lodging fee, so I went and sought the help of friends from New Jersey," she recalled.
"I called Rebeca Najilun to report to her what's going on, but she told me that she would report me to U.S. Immigration because I left my employer without permission."
Disappearing act
Through Internet searches, FILAM Star came across the names, addresses and phone number of these companies mentioned by Santos in Orlando. But our calls yielded the same results: the numbers listed for all three companies were no longer working numbers. The companies did not have any websites.
The same search yielded something that shocked both Santos and Salonga.
An online report by the Orlando Sentinel posted Oct. 14, 2010 detailed how a Brazilian couple — Wilson and Valeria Barbugli —- victimized more than 1,000 foreign workers and were sentenced to federal prison.
"Valeria Barbugli, 57, was sentenced to two years; Wilson Barbugli, 63, to 18 months. The Barbuglis pleaded guilty in Orlando to charges of conspiracy, visa fraud and alien-smuggling," said the report written by Amy L. Edwards of The Sentinel.
The Barbuglis were also ordered by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven to forfeit $55 million to the government.
Quoting the U.S. Attorney's Office, the report said the couple supplied workers to more than 160 hotels through a temporary labor staffing company, VR Services. Valeria Barbugli was the vice-president/manager of VR Services, while Wilson Barbugli is the president of a subsidiary, WB Improvements.
"According to Valeria Barbugli's plea agreement, she and other conspirators recruited foreign workers to be employed by VR Services. These workers paid $350 to $750 to be placed onto fraudulent visa petitions," the report said.
Collusion by recruiters
According to Filipino American immigration lawyer Ellaine Antonio Carr of Gulfort, Mississippi, the trafficking of foreign workers from underdeveloped countries, like the Philippines, is happening because of the collusion of recruiters from both countries and aggravated by ineffective monitoring by the source and host countries.
Carr said her law office and the Catholic Charities of Mississippi are currently helping 31 other Pinoy victims of human trafficking in Mississippi and nearby Louisiana.
She said seven were recruited by Adman and 24 were recruited by ZDrive. She said both recruitment companies have since been padlocked by the Philippine Labor Department.
Carr blamed the laxity of Philippine labor agencies in processing and checking job orders from American job petitioners under the H2B program for the hiring of seasonal, non-agricultural workers into the United States.
"Before the recession, there have been less problem because there were abundant jobs available the Filipino workers could turn to, even if the jobs promised them by their recruiters turn up negative," Carr said in an interview. "But now jobs are very scarce and what was available when the workers were being processed could be gone by the time they get to America."
She disclosed that of the 24 skilled workers deployed by ZDrive, "about 10" ended up in low-paying, back-breaking farm jobs.
This is the same premise why Welfare Officer Adonis Duero, who has been in the forefront helping the displaced workers, recommended the immediate stopping of the so-called direct-hire policy. Under this policy, private companies, and manpower recruiters are allowed to hire workers for overseas deployment with minimum supervision by the Labor Department.
Duero urged in a memorandum to Labor Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz that Philippine overseas labor outposts or consulates be required to verify job availabilities before applications even applications to fill them are processed, and again, before the workers are eventually deployed abroad.
"This would mean additional work for our workers, but we would be able to protect our workers from illegal recruiters and human traffickers," Duero stressed.
Taking courage
According to both Santos and Salonga, they were "inspired" by the guts and courage of the "Biloxi 11" to come out of the shadows to seek justice for their group. They said that by coming out and telling their stories, they also hope to warn "our fellow workers who are being victimized by illegal recruiters and human traffickers."
Santos said he has been asking people around how to get advice from a lawyer but fear and lack of resources to pay for lawyer's services have gotten the better of her.
"I'm scared, I really am, because I have to support my daughter in the Philippines and I have to pay the debts we incurred from relatives and friends," Santos.
"I think I'm slightly better off than my colleagues because I now have a fairly regular job. I pray them every day. I know some of them have moved on and have returned to the Philippines, defeated and broken hearted. Others, they continue fighting and take any job to survive and to somehow support their families," Santos said, fighting off her emotions.
"We don't know — I don't know — what the future holds, but I believe the American justice system works and it's definitely better than what we have," she continued.
Santos said she is trying to reach out to her colleagues with whom she has managed to remain in touch, convinced that now is the time to step out of the shadows and seek redress for the injustice they have suffered at the hands of the traffickers.
By Yong Chavez, ABS-CBN North America Bureau
Oct 5, 2010
LOS ANGELES – Ten overseas foreign workers are speaking out and saying they are victims of human trafficking.
Lawyers from a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization called Coalition To Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, or CAST, are looking into their cases.
U.S. law enforcement agencies are investigating to find out how such a wide-scale operation could have eluded Philippine and U.S. Immigration and the Department of Labor.
The OFW'S all have temporary worker visas. They arrived in the U.S. believing that they would be working for Aramark, a big U.S. company, for its businesses in Colorado and Virginia.
Instead, they say they were forced to work at a hotel in Mississippi, with salaries below minimum wage and under harsh conditions. Aramark has denied involvement in their hiring and said they have launched their own investigation into the matter. Their new salaries, $4.75 per hotel room cleaned, were not enough to cover their living expenses. When they complained, they said they were asked not to leave by their recruiters.
Eutropia Velasco said, "Nakakatakot po kasi binabantayan po kami. Hindi po kami makababa ng apartment. Hindi po namin mailabas ang gamit namin kasi natatakot po kami."
Last week, the workers escaped in the middle of the night and sought assistance from the Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Los Angeles. They are now being sheltered by church leaders. Although they feel safe now, they worry about their families back home.
One of the alleged victims said, "Syempre gusto ko naman hong kumita ng maayos para sa anak ko, sa pamilya ko. Lahat naman tayo gusto ng magandang buhay."
They all borrowed money to pay the employment fee of up to $7,000. They fear that many Filipinos back home are still being lured into the same scheme.
"Sabi po ng isang kaibigan namin na nag-aaplay, idinivert sila dun sa isang agency na sila rin ang namamahala…same staff."
During his recent visit to the U.S., President Aquino addressed the issue of Filipino being trafficked in all parts of the globe. He said investigations are ongoing.
Early this year, the U.S. government placed the Philippines on its Tier 2 human trafficking watch list. The State Department said that the Philippines has never convicted any trafficking offenders.
If human trafficking violations continue, the U.S. government could withhold millions of non-humanitarian aid for the Philippines.
Job Openings By 168 YE LU FA International Manpower & Promotion Services:
Job Title: Electrician
Principal: Business Immigration
Location: New Zealand
Vacancies: 20
Qualifications/Requirements:
* Male
* 30 – 45 years old
* Vocational Diploma/Short Course Certificate
* Five years of working experience as Industrial Electrician
Job Title: Cook
Principal: Newtown Canada
Location: Noiva Scotia, Canada
Vacancies: 20
Salary: $2000/mo
Qualifications/Requirements:
* Male/Female
* 30 – 45 years old
* Vocational Diploma / Short Course Certificate
* Four to five years work experience as cook culinary work experience on American Western and Continental
* Must have experience working in five star hotels or worked overseas in restaurants and hotels or in ships
Job Title: Heavy Trucks Mechanics
Principal: Business Immigration
Location: New Zealand
Vacancies 50
Qualifications/Requirements:
* Male
* 30 – 45 years old
* Vocational Diploma/Short Course Certificate
* Five years of working experience
* Good communication skills in English both oral and written
Job Title: Farm Manager
Principal: Aris Immigration
Location: Canada
Qualifications/Requirements:
* Male/Female
* No specific requirement for age
* Bachelor's / Degree in Agriculture
* Five years of working experience to related field
* Have working experience in organic farming
Job Title: Dairy Farm Manager
Principal: Business Immigration
Location: New Zealand
Vacancies: 40
Salary: $2000/mo
Qualifications/Requirements:
* Male/Female
* 30 – 45 years old
* Bachelor's /must be Veterinary Degree
* Five years of working experience in a dairy farm
* Good communication skills in English both oral and written
Important Note: All interested applicants please email your documents/detailed resume with picture to: yelufa168@yahoo.com More Jobs Vacancies For New Zealand By
168 YE LU FA International Manpower & Promotion Services:
* ELECTRICIANS 20 vacancies New Zealand
* Civil Engineers Waste/water Specialist 20 vacancies New Zealand
* Cook 50 vacancies Nova Scotia, Canada
* Dairy Farm Manager 40 vacancies New Zealand
* Fiber Optic Cabling Specialist 20 vacancies New Zealand
* Heavy Mining Equipment Mechanics 50 vacancies New Zealand
* Heavy Trucks Mechanics 50 vacancies New Zealand
* Linesmen 30 vacancies New Zealand
* FARM MANAGER Canada
* LONG HAUL TRAILER DRIVER 50 vacancies Canada
* Social Worker 50 vacancies USA
* SPED Teacher /Guidance Counselor Psychologist 20 vacancies USA
* BAR BENDER 20 vacancies Malaysia
* BUILDING/CONSTRUCTION FOREMEN Malaysia
* BUILDING/WIRING ELECTRICIAN 20 vacancies Malaysia
* CARPENTER 20 vacancies Malaysia
* DOOR AND WINDOW FITTER 20 vacancies Malaysia
* MASON 20 vacancies Malaysia
* PAINTER 20 vacancies Malaysia
* Pipe fitter 20 vacancies Malaysia
* PLUMBER 20 vacancies Malaysia
* Bricklayer/tile Setter Cement Finisher 40 vacancies Malaysia
* Electrician 10 vacancies Qatar
* Marketing Executive 5 vacancies Qatar
* FABRICATOR Qatar
* DESIGNER Qatar
* CARPENTER 10 vacancies Qatar
* Production Manager Qatar
* Waiter/Barista 2 vacancies Brunei Darussalam
* Cafe Supervisor Brunei Darussalam
* Nurses Saudi Arabia
* Registered Nurses 20 vacancies Saudi Arabia
* FEMALE HAIRDRESSER 5 vacancies Singapore
Note: For Manpower Pooling Only.
No Fees shall be collected from the Applicant.
"BEWARE OF ILLEGAL RECRUITERS"
168 YE LU FA International Manpower & Promotion Services
3/F Rooms 303,305,309 Equitable PCI Bank Building, UN Avenue, Ermita
Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel Nos.: 5217233/ 9274407112
Fax Nos.: 3381238
Email Add:yelufa168@yahoo.com
Website: under construction
Official Representative: James T. Ong Lopez
POEA License No.: 006-LB-011708PI Friday, July 23, 2010
The POEA recently approved a job order that offers employment opportunities to individuals who are qualified for Green Jobs US. The said green jobs US are for Forest Conservation Worker/Tree Planters and was approved last July 9 for 168 Ye Lu Fa International Manpower and Promotion Services, a POEA accredited recruitment agency located in Ermita, Manila. For the said green jobs US a total of 238 applicants will be selected for placement in POEA jobs abroad.
If you think you are qualified and interested to apply for the said green jobs US kindly submit your updated resume together with application to the office of the recruiting agency. For more details or inquiries regarding the said green jobs US you can contact the agency's landline numbers or email address indicated below
Country | Position | Agency | Date Approved | JO Balance |
UNITED STATES | | SERVER DINING CATERING/BARTENDER | | 168 YE LU FA INTERNATIONAL MANPOWER AND PROMOTION SERVICES | | 7/9/2010 | | 100 |
UNITED STATES | | SERVER FOOD AND PREPARATION | | 168 YE LU FA INTERNATIONAL MANPOWER AND PROMOTION SERVICES | | 7/9/2010 | | 100 |
UNITED STATES | | WORKER CONSERVATION FOREST/PLANTERS TREE | | 168 YE LU FA INTERNATIONAL MANPOWER AND PROMOTION SERVICES | | 7/9/2010 | | 238 |
UNITED STATES | | WORKER LANDSCAPING/GROUNDSKEEPING | | 168 YE LU FA INTERNATIONAL MANPOWER AND PROMOTION SERVICES | | 7/9/2010 | | 150 |
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