Illegal Recruiters
'...why is it that I tend to believe that there may be truth to stories about some higher ups at the POEA, DFA, DOLE and OWWA being involved in the multi-million illegal recruitment syndicates?...'
Come to think of it: malaki ang kasalanan ng mga illegal recruiters, pero sa aming palagay ang may mas pinakamalaking kasalanan ay ang mga pamunuan na nagpapalabas sa kanila. Lahat ng mga departamento na nabanggit sa itaas ay dapat imbistigahan.
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "Dcgrava@aol.com" <Dcgrava@aol.com>
To: pinoy-abroad-forum@yahoogroups.com; ProgressiveTimes@yahoogroups.com; YES_I_CAN-Phils@yahoogroups.com
Cc: maria.embry@sbcglobal.net; patrickdpantaleon_2005@yahoo.com; placido05@yahoo.com
Sent: Thu, December 2, 2010 3:52:19 PM
Subject: [pinoy-abroad-forum] Re: An Open Letter to Vice Pres Binay Re OFWs victims of illegal recruitment
Dear Ms. Embry, Dr. Eddie, Patrick Pantaleon and others concerned:
--- On Wed, 10/27/10, Owwa Usa <owwausa@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Owwa Usa <owwausa@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fw: ZHA-367-2010 Repatriation request of Mr. Joselito R. Miranda, illegal recruitment victim in Haiti
To: "Hon. Sec. Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz" <osec@dole.gov.ph>, "Hon. Carmelita Dimzon" <admincsd@owwa.gov.ph>, "Admin. Carmelita S. Dimzon" <admin.owwa@gmail.com>, poea@yahoo.com
Cc: "Labatt Luzviminda Padilla" <lapadilla_polowdc@yahoo.com>, "owwa usa" <owwausa@yahoo.com>, "H.E. Amb. Willy Gaa" <philambausa@gmail.com>, "oocs dir allan" <oocs_info05@yahoo.com>, "Dir. Allan Ignacio" <owwa_opcenter@yahoo.com>, "Jason Jovencio Anasarias" <ajax3715@yahoo.com>, "H.E. Amb. Macarthur Corsino" <maccors@yahoo.com>, "rico fos" <ricofos@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 12:14 AM
October 26, 2010
Hon. Rosalinda Dimapilis Baldoz
Secretary
Department of Labor and Employment
Manila
Dear Madam,
I would like to respectfully reiterate my request for an immediate investigation of the illegal recruitment activities by several agencies and individuals in the Philippines and to revisit the direct hire policy of POEA. Direct hire policy is the root cause of all these problems pertaining to illegal recruitment and alleged human trafficking of Filipino workers. Please note that it is very important for the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to verify the authenticity of all available jobs within its area of jurisdiction.
We know that Haiti was badly devastated by the big earthquake in January and is still trying to rebuild and recover. Unfortunately, even the President's palace is still not reconstructed because of lack of funding and due to the overall financial hardship of the Haiti government.
In this regard, I would like respectfully request that POEA should refrain from issuing any exit permit to Filipino workers going to Haiti unless it has been verified by POLO that there are indeed decent jobs available for these workers in Haiti . Allowing our Filipino workers to leave for Haiti would only result to additional welfare problems to be attended by OWWA, our Philippine Embassy in Cuba , and our government as a whole.
Attached for your perusal is an email from our Philippine Embassy in Cuba pertaining to the illegal recruitment of Filipino workers to Haiti .
Sincerely yours,
From: Philippine Embassy-Havana,Cuba <havana.pe@dfa.gov.ph>
Subject: ZHA-367-2010 Repatriation request of Mr. Joselito R. Miranda, illegal recruitment victim in Haiti
To: hqs@dfa.gov.ph
Cc: "owwausa@yahoo. com" <owwausa@yahoo.com>, lapadilla_polowdc@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 3:14 PM
Pls see attached ZHA-367-2010
Kindly acknowledge receipt
Thanks
Emman
Havana PE
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From: "Dcgrava@aol.com" <Dcgrava@aol.com>
To: pinoy-abroad-forum@yahoogroups.com; ProgressiveTimes@yahoogroups.com; YES_I_CAN-Phils@yahoogroups.com
Cc: maria.embry@sbcglobal.net; patrickdpantaleon_2005@yahoo.com; placido05@yahoo.com
Sent: Thu, December 2, 2010 3:52:19 PM
Subject: [pinoy-abroad-forum] Re: An Open Letter to Vice Pres Binay Re OFWs victims of illegal recruitment
Dear Ms. Embry, Dr. Eddie, Patrick Pantaleon and others concerned:
Manhid na talaga itong mga opisyales natin, talagang wala ng katapusan itong kahayukan nila sa kayamanang hindi makatuwiran. They have become numb to the sufferings of our people, their skin too thick and teflonized against shame. Despite the criticisms patuloy pa nila itong ginagawa, wala talagang hiya. Paano na lamang kaya kung wala pa kayo, Ms. Embry and Dr. Eddie and the others who feel sincerely for our brothers and sisters who because of extreme poverty who only desire to better their lives and those of their children fall easy prey to the studied maneuverings of people without consciences in cohort with equally greedy officials who should have been there for our protection and welfare but instead made their positions of trust into instruments of exploitation on the helpless and the gullible.
I hope and pray that more of our kababayans who are fortunate enough to relocate elsewhere in the world should not just feel smug in their well-deserved comforts and achievements. We should not forget that millions of our brothers and sisters and friends and kin are not as fortunate, that many of them wallow in misery and distress because of extreme poverty and the incompetence and corruption of elected officials and their appointees. I could go on and on but as we are well aware of, these things have been said before and... and...
Regarding the problems mentioned in this letter and the chain of messages, these are recurring nightmares which our salaried officials have failed to correct or even are instrumental in their continued existence. As I said many times before, why is it that I tend to believe that there may be truth to stories about some higher ups at the POEA, DFA, DOLE and OWWA being involved in the multi-million illegal recruitment syndicates?
The problem about the OFWs who paid huge amounts in responding to promised jobs in Haiti, for example, is something no responsible official in his right mind would have believed in the first place. Jobs in an equally poor country of gross lawlessness and farther devastated after the killer earthquakes? These are the very scenarios that OWWA Welfare Officer Duero and H.E. Ambassador MacArthur Corsino of the Philippine Embassy in Havana warned about in letters (attached following) to DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and other top government officials in the past. What has been done about such warnings? What is our president and tongressmen and senatongs been doing about this and other very urgent problems? I thought we already have a new administration in place headed by someone we overwhelmingly support, someone we entrusted with much confidence and expectations for a bright destiny of our country and people.
Ms. Embry, Dr. Eddie, Patrick Pantaleon et al, I really hope and pray that you continue this kind of advocacies.
dioni
Subject: Fw: Re: Fw: ZHA-367-2010 Repatriation request of Mr. Joselito R. Miranda, illegal recruitment victim in Haiti
Date: 10/27/2010 11:08:39 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: owwausa@yahoo.com
Reply To:
To: osec@dole.gov.ph, admin.owwa@gmail.com, admincsd@owwa.gov.ph, poea@yahoo.com, info@poea.gov.ph
CC: owwausa@yahoo.com, lapadilla_polowdc@yahoo.com
Date: 10/27/2010 11:08:39 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: owwausa@yahoo.com
Reply To:
To: osec@dole.gov.ph, admin.owwa@gmail.com, admincsd@owwa.gov.ph, poea@yahoo.com, info@poea.gov.ph
CC: owwausa@yahoo.com, lapadilla_polowdc@yahoo.com
October 27, 2010
Hon. Rosalinda S. Baldoz
Secretary
Department of Labor and Employment
Manila
Madam,
May I respectfully endorse the letter from H.E. Ambassador MacArthur Corsino of the Philippine Embassy in Havana. As you can see, he is also concerned that these illegal recruitment agencies and individuals are still roaming around our country, victimizing innocent Filipino workers.
Madam, I know that you have so many pressing issues in your plate right now, but we urgently need to reevaluate our recruitment policies as this is becoming a big problem and a national concern. We have to be aware that our country is included as one of 37 countries ranked TIER 2 in the U.S. Department of State 2010 Trafficking in Person report. According to the report our country is ranked TIER 2 for more than two consecutive years already. If we do not act on this major issue immediately, our country would face a possible downgrade to TIER 3 in the 2011 Trafficking In Person Report, which could involve full or partial sanctions of all non-humanitarian, non trade related assistance, including funding for cultural exchanges. This means we may lose millions of dollars worth of aid from the US government if we don't do something to stop these illegal recruitment and human trafficking practices by some agencies and individuals in the Philippines.
Respectfully yours,
Hon. Rosalinda S. Baldoz
Secretary
Department of Labor and Employment
Manila
Madam,
May I respectfully endorse the letter from H.E. Ambassador MacArthur Corsino of the Philippine Embassy in Havana. As you can see, he is also concerned that these illegal recruitment agencies and individuals are still roaming around our country, victimizing innocent Filipino workers.
Madam, I know that you have so many pressing issues in your plate right now, but we urgently need to reevaluate our recruitment policies as this is becoming a big problem and a national concern. We have to be aware that our country is included as one of 37 countries ranked TIER 2 in the U.S. Department of State 2010 Trafficking in Person report. According to the report our country is ranked TIER 2 for more than two consecutive years already. If we do not act on this major issue immediately, our country would face a possible downgrade to TIER 3 in the 2011 Trafficking In Person Report, which could involve full or partial sanctions of all non-humanitarian, non trade related assistance, including funding for cultural exchanges. This means we may lose millions of dollars worth of aid from the US government if we don't do something to stop these illegal recruitment and human trafficking practices by some agencies and individuals in the Philippines.
Respectfully yours,
Alberto Adonis C. Duero
Welfare Officer
POLO-OWWA USA
661-878-6149
Welfare Officer
POLO-OWWA USA
661-878-6149
--- On Wed, 10/27/10, MacArthur Corsino <maccors@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: MacArthur Corsino <maccors@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Fw: ZHA-367-2010 Repatriation request of Mr. Joselito R. Miranda, illegal recruitment victim in Haiti
To: "Owwa Usa" <owwausa@yahoo.com>
Cc: "Enrico Fos" <ricofos@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 4:18 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: ZHA-367-2010 Repatriation request of Mr. Joselito R. Miranda, illegal recruitment victim in Haiti
To: "Owwa Usa" <owwausa@yahoo.com>
Cc: "Enrico Fos" <ricofos@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 4:18 PM
Dear Dondon,
I wish to commend you for this initiative. It is our hope that Secretary Baldoz will favorably adopt your recommendation and implement it at once, that is, stop the granting of exit permits to OFWs bound for Haiti until POLO can determine the authenticity of the availability of the purported jobs there. This determining of availability of jobs can be done in cooperation with Havana PE in coordination with the FilCom in Port au Prince.
Your recommendation is particularly pressing and urgent because we have just received today, Oct. 27, a complaint by another victim of illegal recruitment to Haiti. Her name is Deborah Pasigon Garcia of La Trinidad, Benguet. She was victimized, according to her, by the same Marla Consolacion Martinez aka Maria Consolacion Martinez Nahas, the same person who had already victimized others we previously reported. Moreover, Deborah says that Marla has readied another batch of hapless victims to depart for Haiti. Further, she says that Marla may divert destination to the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic if exit to Haiti is banned. Therefore, I would suggest that exit permits to Haiti, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic be stopped until further notice. We remain puzzled why this unscrupulous woman remains able to perpetrate her illegal recruitment despite all our warnings to Manila against her dating back to months ago. Deborah, who arrived in Haiti on Aug. 11, 2010, is back in Manila now as she could not get any job in Haiti despite the promised lucrative job and despite her shelling out a huge amount of money to Marla. This poor victim apparently managed to get back to Manila by her own resources, since the return ticket from Marla turned out to be a dummy one. At this moment, this Marla is continuing her deceitful recruiting activity, making false promises of high-paying jobs in Haiti to innocent would-be OFWs. Apparently, she has already lined up some of them to depart at any given time. Why she remains free to roam around and continue her evil schemes and deeds is most puzzling indeed.
Best regards,
Ambassador Corsino
I wish to commend you for this initiative. It is our hope that Secretary Baldoz will favorably adopt your recommendation and implement it at once, that is, stop the granting of exit permits to OFWs bound for Haiti until POLO can determine the authenticity of the availability of the purported jobs there. This determining of availability of jobs can be done in cooperation with Havana PE in coordination with the FilCom in Port au Prince.
Your recommendation is particularly pressing and urgent because we have just received today, Oct. 27, a complaint by another victim of illegal recruitment to Haiti. Her name is Deborah Pasigon Garcia of La Trinidad, Benguet. She was victimized, according to her, by the same Marla Consolacion Martinez aka Maria Consolacion Martinez Nahas, the same person who had already victimized others we previously reported. Moreover, Deborah says that Marla has readied another batch of hapless victims to depart for Haiti. Further, she says that Marla may divert destination to the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic if exit to Haiti is banned. Therefore, I would suggest that exit permits to Haiti, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic be stopped until further notice. We remain puzzled why this unscrupulous woman remains able to perpetrate her illegal recruitment despite all our warnings to Manila against her dating back to months ago. Deborah, who arrived in Haiti on Aug. 11, 2010, is back in Manila now as she could not get any job in Haiti despite the promised lucrative job and despite her shelling out a huge amount of money to Marla. This poor victim apparently managed to get back to Manila by her own resources, since the return ticket from Marla turned out to be a dummy one. At this moment, this Marla is continuing her deceitful recruiting activity, making false promises of high-paying jobs in Haiti to innocent would-be OFWs. Apparently, she has already lined up some of them to depart at any given time. Why she remains free to roam around and continue her evil schemes and deeds is most puzzling indeed.
Best regards,
Ambassador Corsino
--- On Wed, 10/27/10, Owwa Usa <owwausa@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Owwa Usa <owwausa@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fw: ZHA-367-2010 Repatriation request of Mr. Joselito R. Miranda, illegal recruitment victim in Haiti
To: "Hon. Sec. Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz" <osec@dole.gov.ph>, "Hon. Carmelita Dimzon" <admincsd@owwa.gov.ph>, "Admin. Carmelita S. Dimzon" <admin.owwa@gmail.com>, poea@yahoo.com
Cc: "Labatt Luzviminda Padilla" <lapadilla_polowdc@yahoo.com>, "owwa usa" <owwausa@yahoo.com>, "H.E. Amb. Willy Gaa" <philambausa@gmail.com>, "oocs dir allan" <oocs_info05@yahoo.com>, "Dir. Allan Ignacio" <owwa_opcenter@yahoo.com>, "Jason Jovencio Anasarias" <ajax3715@yahoo.com>, "H.E. Amb. Macarthur Corsino" <maccors@yahoo.com>, "rico fos" <ricofos@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 12:14 AM
October 26, 2010
Hon. Rosalinda Dimapilis Baldoz
Secretary
Department of Labor and Employment
Manila
Dear Madam,
I would like to respectfully reiterate my request for an immediate investigation of the illegal recruitment activities by several agencies and individuals in the Philippines and to revisit the direct hire policy of POEA. Direct hire policy is the root cause of all these problems pertaining to illegal recruitment and alleged human trafficking of Filipino workers. Please note that it is very important for the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to verify the authenticity of all available jobs within its area of jurisdiction.
We know that Haiti was badly devastated by the big earthquake in January and is still trying to rebuild and recover. Unfortunately, even the President's palace is still not reconstructed because of lack of funding and due to the overall financial hardship of the Haiti government.
In this regard, I would like respectfully request that POEA should refrain from issuing any exit permit to Filipino workers going to Haiti unless it has been verified by POLO that there are indeed decent jobs available for these workers in Haiti . Allowing our Filipino workers to leave for Haiti would only result to additional welfare problems to be attended by OWWA, our Philippine Embassy in Cuba , and our government as a whole.
Attached for your perusal is an email from our Philippine Embassy in Cuba pertaining to the illegal recruitment of Filipino workers to Haiti .
Sincerely yours,
Alberto Adonis C. Duero
Welfare Officer
POLO-OWWA USA
661-878-6149
Welfare Officer
POLO-OWWA USA
661-878-6149
--- On Tue, 10/26/10, Philippine Embassy-Havana,Cuba <havana.pe@dfa.gov.ph> wrote:
From: Philippine Embassy-Havana,Cuba <havana.pe@dfa.gov.ph>
Subject: ZHA-367-2010 Repatriation request of Mr. Joselito R. Miranda, illegal recruitment victim in Haiti
To: hqs@dfa.gov.ph
Cc: "owwausa@yahoo. com" <owwausa@yahoo.com>, lapadilla_polowdc@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 3:14 PM
Pls see attached ZHA-367-2010
Kindly acknowledge receipt
Thanks
Emman
Havana PE
--
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= = =
In a message dated 12/1/2010 9:21:28 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, maria.embry@sbcglobal.net writes:
Dear Hon Binay,Kumusta ho sa inyo and sincere gratitude to Mr. Pantaleon for sending you an e-mail.Vice President Binay, I am sure that you are aware about the plight of our OFWsnakakarindi ho pero the wheels of justice moves so slowww.Kailangan ho drastic interventionmalala ho sa earthquake ravaged Haiti dahilan magmula nang March bakit nakakalusot itong isang tao o sindikato na parang hindi man lang nakaregister sa POEA, pero approbado nang POEA habang paparami ang mga biktima (26 OFWs)?sino ho ba itong mga ito na working w/ impunity? (named in the news Marla (Consolacion, Wong Habas) & surnamed Maning (Ms. Roma, Leo, the father & Luzviminda of NY)malaking problema din ho ang Guam dahil nasa radar screen na nang U.S. Department Fraud Division (Mr. Clay Allen) ang agency na kaparis nang Topline Manpower Services (POEA: preventive suspension). Baka maging sanhi ho ito nang pagdowngrade nang rating natin from Tier 2 to Tier 3 under Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Sinabi na nga ni Sect Hillary Clinton na "trafficking is a form of modern slavery" (reportedly during the granting of $434 million Millenium Fund to P-Noy) ay hindi pa rin yata natin naintindihan ang implication sa ating economy nang not too subtle warning na ito.Bakit pa tayo humihingi nang tulong sa U.S. at ibang bansa kung makikipaglukohan lang tayo sa kanila?Apektado ang hanapbuhay nang mga ibang OFWs that will directly affect the economy of our country. Napakalaki ho nang kontrata sa Guam to jeopardize dahilan sa we have rotten apples in our barrel that include some of our government agencies that undoubtedly contribute to the problem & will never be part & parcel of the solution.Kawawa naman ho ang mga OFWs at ang kanilang mga pamilya. Napakalaking dalahin sa ating conscience kung patuloy na pababayaan natin sila sa kanilang aba at nakakalunos na kalagayan. Besides, why kill the goose that lay the golden eggs?dapat ho ma reconfigure ang diciplinary rating nang POEAtinatawanan lang yata nang mga recruiting agencies ang mga preventive suspensionDAPAT HO AY ZERO TOLERANCE SA MGA SERIOUS OFFENSESAS A MATTER OF FACT, REPUBLIC ACT 10020, THAT AMENDED RA 8042 IS A VERY POWERFUL TOOLPROBLEM IS IN THE IMPLEMENTATIONIsa pa hong grabe na agensiya:World Production International Manpower na nasa preventive suspension ay kasama sa:incident nuong Agosto na stranded ang 16 OFWs na pinigilan nang Singapore police dahil daw iyong mga plane tickets nila was bought by the agency(ies) w/ stolen credit cardsano ho kaya ang follow up dito dahil iyong mga ibang involve na agencies sa incident na ito ay currently (as of 11/30/2010) in Good Standing sa POEA:Futuristic International Artists (FIA) Promotion CorpAcclaimed One Manpower Recruitment ServicesPVE Placement AgencyMedrip International Phil Inc (I could not locate this particular company in the POEA database)iyong mga nasa Riyadh mahigit na 20 OFWs na nag nagpadala nang OPEN LETTER thru Mr John Monterona kay P-Noy nuong 7/2010 ay nagrereklamo dahil binigyan sila nang fake documents gaya nang fake employment contracts, expired work visa na isang naging dahilan na panibagong victimization from their employer (Nusha/Nuzha Project Group in Riyadh). Kasalukuyan ho ang rating nang mga agencies involved sa POEA:Wavex (Good Standing)World Production International Manpower Corp (Preventive Suspension)Real World (I can not locate this from POEA database)at iyong 11 OFWs (interviewed in the U.S by FBI, Dept of Labor, Dept of Homeland Security) nasa Los Angeles California (human trafficker: Adman Human Resources Placement, part of Adman UK & Adman Kuwait & formerly MARS International Manpower, established since 1979) ARAMARK, an international placement agency is accusing Adman of forging documents regarding this incidentkasama nuong 24 or more OFWs nasa Biloxi, Mississippi (human trafficker: ZDrive Agency). Pag abusive ang mga recruting agencies sa Pilipinas ay apektado ang H2B visa.8,000 Filipinos has been granted under this visa in the U.S. since 2007Dapat ho ay maagapan ang reforms dito. Again, rotten apples will ruin the whole cartinvolved lending Corp charging 6% interest per month daw sa OFWs:PJH Lending Corpiyan ho ang storya: usurious ghost loans, pseudo cash advances, double contracts, illegal recruitment, human trafficking, placement fees of $6K to $8K, coersive collection practices sa mga naiwang pamilya, as if the pain of family separation brought by working abroad is not enough suffering for all parties concernedIsa pang grabe ho ay feeding to media & to the public news of cancellation of POEA permits to the agencies concerned (like Adman) tapos preventive suspension lang pala.Marami kagaya nang (in)famous Sentosa Recruitment Agency involved in the long running saga in NY is actually graded w/ Good Standing currently in the POEA database.These recruitment agencies are undoubtedly laughing themselves all the way to the banks agencies supposedly looking after the welfare of supposedly modern heroes OFWs who will actually be Dead on Arrival (DOA) @ their receiving countries if we do not take care of them ASAP:Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)Department of Labor & Employment (DOLE)Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO)Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)Sir, in closing allow me to plead for your intervention that Mr. Duero of OWWA stay as the welfare officer in Los Angeles since he is doing a fantastic job.Sincerely,Maria Elizabeth EmbryAntioch Ca 94509
--- On Tue, 11/30/10, Patrick Pantaleon <patrickdpantaleon_2005@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Patrick Pantaleon <patrickdpantaleon_2005@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [GugmaHanSamar] Re: [Worldwide-Filipino-Alliance] POEA approved (human trafficking) job contracts for 26 OFWs in Haiti from JUN A.
Date: Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 11:31 PM
Dearest Kumpadre, the Honorable Vice President Binay, how are you? May i suggest that Mr. Jun Aguilar meet you soonest po, he will be able to advise you well. I will ask our Brother in Christ, Rez Cortez to fascilitate this meeting. God Bless patrick
From: "maria.embry@sbcglobal.net" <maria.embry@sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Wed, December 1, 2010 11:07:35 AM
Subject: [GugmaHanSamar] Re: [Worldwide-Filipino-Alliance] POEA approved (human trafficking) job contracts for 26 OFWs in Haiti from JUN A.
"The question is why the illegal recruiters—despite our reports and despite their being exposed in the news—are still able to continue their evil recruitment after so many months, and so are able to continue victimizing hapless Filipinos," Corsino said.
Corsino decried the continued illegal trafficking of Filipino workers who end up being a burden to the embassy and the small Filipino community that takes them under its care.
"Imagine, it's essentially the same story [we get] from the victims since March 2010 up to now. That is, the victims each shell out around P500,000 to the recruiters who promise them jobs of $3,000 a month in Haiti, then end up stranded and penniless in Port-au-Prince without the said jobs at all," he said in an email.
This supposed placement fee is even higher than the P300,000 (equivalent to almost $6,500) collected from each of the alleged victims of human trafficking now stranded in Los Angeles.
The alleged traffickers were identified as Marla Consolacion, who also uses the aliases Marla Wong and Marla Habas, and her assistant named Roma Maning, whose father Leo works in Haiti.
These alleged recruiters claim to have international connections through a certain Luzviminda Maning of New York who allegedly operates with an American partner.
The stranded workers said that they were made to believe that the recruiters have connections at the Haitian embassy in Manila who help facilitate travel documentation, including visas.Haiti has a consulate in the Philippines.Members of the small, closely-knit Filipino community have opened their homes to the stranded workers and helped them find jobs, which are not easy in a country still reeling from a devastating earthquake that flattened most of Port-au-Prince about a year ago."Yes, members of the [community] are trying to help them, but we can only do so much," said Dolor Bagadiong, wife of Filipino community president Frankie Bagadiong, on Wednesday from the Haitian capital during a live chat via Yahoo! Messenger."But jobs are scarce and hard to find here, so I find it very strange why the Department of Labor and Employment is still allowing the deployment of workers to Haiti," she added.Bagadiong cited the case of Jess Laurenaria, who told the Filipino community and Philippine embassy officials how he was duped into paying P550,000 to the recruiters because they assured him that he would get a managerial job that pays $3,000 a month.It was too late for Laurenaria to discover upon reaching Port-au-Prince that the company that was supposed to hire him did not exist, forcing him to seek shelter with fellow Filipinos in Port-au-Prince."Talamak talaga yang illegal recruitment dito (Illegal recruitment is widespread here)," Bagadiong said in Filipino.Laurenaria, one of those who opted to stay and look for a job, was helped by a member of the Filipino community and eventually got hired by a local plastics company but the salary was only a portion of the $3,000 he was aspiring for.
Corsino said that the Philippine embassy, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, has referred reports and complaints of illegal recruitment in Haiti to the Philippine labor department and law-enforcement authorities.
--- On Tue, 11/30/10, jun aguilar <fsaguilarjr@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: jun aguilar <fsaguilarjr@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Worldwide-Filipino-Alliance] POEA approved (human trafficking) job contracts for 26 OFWs in Haiti from JUN A.
To: ~snipped~
Date: Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6:35 PM
Maria,
High powered ang cast nang mga naka cc dito sa panawagan mo, sana may isa man lang sa kanila ang sumagot sa mensahe mo particular ang POEA Administrator. Ngayon pa naman ang kainitan ng isyu ng certification of compliance ng ating DFA para sa mga country of destination ng ating mga OFW's na hihihingi sa bagong amyendang batas na RA 10022.
Dapat malaman natin kung sino ang Labatt na nag verify ng employment contract at ang pangalan ng Recruitment Agency na nag deploy sa latest arrival ng OFW's na allegedly processed sa POEA. Hindi pwedeng ma accredit ang isang Foreign Employer sa POEA ng walang approval ang Administrator. Kung totoo ang paratang at paguulat ni Filcom Leader Marieflor Tuibeo sa Haiti, marapat lang na maglabas ng paliwanag at karampatang aksiyon ang mga kinauukulan hinggil dito sa lalong madaling panahon.
Kailangan hindi tayo bumitiw sa mga ganitong klase ng usapin at ating siguruhing may mananagot sa mga kasong ganito.
Jun S. Aguilar
Chairman
Filipino Migrant Workers Group
--- On Tue, 11/30/10, maria.embry@sbcglobal.net <maria.embry@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
From: maria.embry@sbcglobal.net <maria.embry@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [Worldwide-Filipino-Alliance] (POEA) Philippine Overseas Employment Admin approved (human trafficking) job contracts for 26 OFWs in Haiti
To: poea@yahoo.com, info@poea.gov.ph, "DOLESec Rosalinda Baldoz" <osec@dole.gov.ph>, Worldwide-Filipino-Alliance@yahoogroups.com, filam-forum@yahoogroups.com, GugmaHanSamar@yahoogroups.com, cepol@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 30 November, 2010, 4:32 PM
26 stranded filipino workers take any job in Haiti
Saturday, 27 November 2010 00:00By Jun Medina, Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filipino community leaders on Thursday (Friday in Manila) said that 26 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) recruited by suspected human traffickers for phantom jobs in earthquake-ravaged Haiti have ended up begging for jobs, with most of them still without work after months of waiting in the impoverished Caribbean nation.
"Talamak na talaga ang nangyayaring illegal recruitment dito (Illegal recruitment is happening with impunity here)," said Filipino Community (FilCom) secretary Marieflor Tuibeo in an email in which she gave a list of the victimized workers.
What bothers the community leaders in Port-au-Prince, Tuibeo said, is that the latest arrivals had approved job contracts that went through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
She provided The Manila Times with a list of the 26 workers, only nine of whom have managed to get odd jobs with the help of FilCom members.
Philippine Ambassador to Cuba MacArthur Corsino said that he is baffled by the failure of Philippine authorities in Manila to stem the illegal deployment of so many workers in a country that is still reeling from a massive 7.0-magnitude quake in January that flattened most of Port-au-Prince, killed more than 200,000 and rendered about a million people homeless.
The Philippine Embassy in Havana has jurisdiction over Filipino citizens in Haiti and other nearby countries.
Corsino stressed in a separate email that the illegal trafficking of Filipino workers cannot be stopped unless the government takes drastic action against the recruiters in Manila as well as their accomplices in the Haitian capital.
He and FilCom leaders observed that the trafficking victims share a common denominator: They have each paid the Manila-based recruiters P500,000 (about $11,500) in fees, for deployment to Haiti and placement in $3,000-a-month salary dream jobs that do not exist.
Tuibeo said that two of the workers—Deryk Curameng and Deborrah Garcia, who both arrived in September—have decided to return to the Philippines after waiting vainly for more than a month for the promised high-paying jobs.
Based on the list supplied by the FilCom leader, practically all of the workers who arrived in Port-au-Prince from September to November 20 have remained idle.
"According to the three Filipinos who arrived last October 27, they were recruited by a certain 'Mr. Tangog' ... and they are staying at a rented house where the previous batches are housed," Tuibeo said in Filipino.
"They said that they have approved contracts and came here on a one-way ticket. Their deployment went through the POEA, but when they arrived in Haiti, the jobs promised them were not there," she added.
Based on Tuibeo's list, the workers arrived in different batches from March 27 to November 20.
Only those who came with the first wave of arrivals have managed to find work, mostly odd jobs in supermarkets, warehouses and factories they landed with the help of the local Filipino community.
Eight workers who arrived from March to August have found employment.
Danny Dumelod and Arman Palisoc were lucky to find work at the Moulin Sumier Beach Resort.
The rest—Bernard Bravo Honrado, Ernie Cajote Cadaingan, Yehlen Villanueva, Armand de Vera, Arcadio Ortega and Jesus Laurenaria—are now working for different employers, Tuibeo said.
According to FilCom's list, all 18 of the OFWs who arrived from September to November, except one Rony Bagtas, remaine jobless.
"Most have decided to stay here in Haiti and try to find any alternative job instead of going back home to the Philippine with nothing," Tuibeo said. "We in the community try our best to help them find work, but it's never easy because there are not much jobs available."
She said that those who are now working are renting rooms or houses with others, while the rest are staying together in places they rent as a group from their recruiters.
Still others, Tuibeo added, have been temporarily taken into the homes of FilCom members.
"Look, there are more than 20 of them and the majority remain jobless. The sad part is that the traffickers keep deploying all these people who end up idle, penniless and with no place to go," she said.
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