DMW shuts down consultancy firm promising jobs in Germany

SHUT DOWN. Department of Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac leads the closure of the Gisgerman Document Facilitation Services (GIS) in Malate, Manila on Friday (Jan. 5, 2024), together with the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), and in coordination with the Manila Police Department for illegal recruitment. Cacdac said that GIS Manila has no necessary license with the DMW, and has no legitimate job orders. (Photo: Department of Migrant Workers/Facebook)

MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday padlocked another consultancy firm in Manila offering jobs in Germany.

DMW Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, led the closure of the Gisgerman Document Facilitation Services (GIS Manila) on Pablo Ocampo Sr. St., Malate, together with the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), and in coordination with the Manila Police Department.

“Napag-alaman natin na nagre-recruit, nagre-refer, nangangako (We learned that they are recruiting, referring, promising). These are elements of recruitment, which means pag ginagawa mo yung (if you are doing) 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,” Cacdac said during an interview after the operation.

He said GIS Manila which promises jobs in Germany as hotel workers, caregivers, and nurses, has no necessary license with the DMW, and has no legitimate job orders.

He added that it charges exorbitant fees of PHP102,000 for a series of language training, asking for an initial downpayment of PHP5,000 as enrollment fee.

The MWPB said after completion of the language training, GIS Manila will then directly refer the applicant to German employers, asking for an additional fee of PHP99,000 for the processing of supposed overseas employment.

Cacdac said the DMW would never tolerate any persons or companies preying on the hope of Filipinos wanting to land a decent job abroad.

He advised Filipino overseas job seekers to visit the DMW website (www.dmw.gov.ph) for the list of licensed agencies with approved job orders, to avoid being victimized by illegal recruiters.

With its closure, GIS Manila and its officers will be included in the DMW “List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Records” to prevent them from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program.

They will also face charges of illegal recruitment committed by a syndicate, which is punishable by life imprisonment and a fine ranging from PHP2 million to PHP5 million.

The DMW also urged the victims of GIS Manila to contact the MWPB through their Facebook page DMW Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons Program at https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip, or email them at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, for the filing of cases against the consultancy firm.

Cacdac said the DMW always wants to ensure that the agency is upholding the legitimate recruitment track, to guarantee OFW protection.

”We want to make sure that the legitimate, licensed recruitment agencies, yung sanctity, yung prebilihiyo nilang mag recruit, para protektado, ang (the sanctity, their privilege to recruit, so that the) OFWs is amply protected. In this manner, we’re looking out for the illegal recruiters at gusto nating sugpuin, gusto nating makitil, gusto nating pigilin ang illegal recruitment kasi gusto natin ang mga kababayan natin protektado at ituro sila sa legal na pamamaraan (and we want to stop illegal recruitment because we want our co-nationals to be protected and lead them to the legal process),” Cacdac said.