This is from POEA Advisory:
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration advises Filipino women intending to work as domestic helpers in Singapore to use the legal process of overseas employment and not rely on the services of travel agency operators who are moonlighting as employment agents.
Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, citing a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Singapore, said 99 per cent of Filipino domestic helpers who ran away from their employers were deployed by travel agents and do not have valid overseas employment documents issued by the POEA.
In a report to the POEA, Rodolfo M. Sabulao, the Philippine labor attaché to Singapore said a syndicate composed of travel agencies in the Philippines is behind this illegal recruitment scheme in connivance with placement agencies in Singapore which were not accredited by the Philippine embassy and therefore have no counterpart recruitment agency in the Philippines.
Also according to the report, at least five Filipino domestic helpers who were able to leave the Philippines as tourists run away from their employers every day because of financial difficulties and seek refuge at the Philippine embassy. Some of them had only worked for 3 days to 5 months before leaving their employers.
The workers were asked to sign a one-page contract indicating their salaries ranging from $250.00 to $350.00 per month with no day off. The workers, however, get only $20.00 per month as subsistence allowance because the Singapore agency has to deduct from their salary the placement fee equivalent to seven months salary.
Manalili clarified that household workers receive a monthly salary of $400. She also said that she has already requested from Labatt Sabulao the names of the travel agencies involved in the illegal recruitment scheme for proper investigation.
Filipinos in distress who need urgent assistance may call the embassy duty officer at telephone no. +65-9072-2797.
Its sad to hear that many travel agencies in the Philippines are illegal. My cousin that stays in Cebu is a victim of these illegal travel agencies. hope the government can get rid of these illegal travel agencies.
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