Three cities in Negros Occidental yesterday entered in a partnership with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to bring the fight against illegal recruitment to their localities, as Gov. Isidro Zayco pledged to create a Provincial Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force.

Mayors Eric Saratan of Talisay, Jose Montelibano of Silay and Melecio Yap Jr. of Escalante signed a memorandum of understanding with POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz for their participation in the Anti-Illegal Recruitment Free Local Government Unit campaign, at the Governor’s Hall at the Capitol yesterday morning.

Mayors Ramon Torres of Bago City and Demie John Honrado of La Carlota City did not arrive for the signing, but will formalize their partnership with POEA at a later date. 

“We want to make every LGU illegal recruitment-free through partnerships,” Baldoz said.

She said that, based on experience, the POEA believes that prevention is a better approach against the criminal practice that victimizes mostly those from rural areas, and whose victims first seek assistance from their local officials. 

“We even prefer to set aside our resources to conduct seminars to prevent illegal recruitment,” Baldoz said.

Carmen Nagum, unit coordinator of POEA-Bacolod, said their office continues to receive complaints from illegally recruited workers  in the province, which shows that there are still applicants who fall prey to illegal recruiters.

In 2005, for instance, more than P3.6 million in placement fees was lost to illegal recruiters by 117 victims in Negros Occidental.

TASK FORCE

Zayco, in welcoming the initiative between the POEA and the LGUs, agreed that there should be a joint effort to stop the activities of fly-by-night recruitment agencies.

He said he will issue an executive order for the creation of Provincial Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force that will include the POEA, National Bureau of Investigation, and Philippine National Police.

UNDERTAKINGS

Under the MOU, the POEA will furnish regularly its city-partner through the Public Employment Services Office updated lists of licensed agencies and provide information materials on the campaign against illegal recruitment.

It will provide resource speakers for the Pre-Employment Orientation Seminars and Anti-Illegal Recruitment Seminars and furnish regularly updated list of POEA-Government Placement Branch vacancies for dissemination together with travel updates and advisories.

The POEA will also set up and ad hoc body to monitor and coordinate activities to be conducted under the agreement.

Meanwhile, the city will, among others, include as part of its programs an aggressive campaign against illegal recruitment and assist in the distribution/reproduction and dissemination of anti-illegal recruitment information materials.

It will investigate any reported illegal recruitment activity and recommend to the POEA issuance of a closure order against any licensed recruitment establishment entity engaged in recruitment violations, and establish an AIR Desk.

Talisay City Mayor Eric Saratan said he is happy that his city has been given an opportunity to work with POEA in such campaign.

This program can be a deterrent against illegal recruitment and can encourage the public to be vigilant, he said at the signing rites.

Silay City Mayor Jose Montelibano said his city’s partnership with POEA can be a guarantee that workers from Talisay applying for jobs will not be duped by illegal recruiters.

The workers will be protected because they will go through all the proper channels, he said.*NLG

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