The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issues another warning against the recruitment of seasonal workers to Italy. The government agency issued the same warning in May of this year but felt the need to release another advisory after receiving a number of complaints from friends and family members of the victims of illegal recruitment to Italy.

Filipino workers cannot be hired as seasonal workers in Italy because the Philippines has not signed a bilateral agreement with Italy regarding the said type of recruitment. Recruitment of seasonal workers in Italy are only allowed in counties where Italy has signed special agreements.

Apparently, the illegal recruiters pretended to be legitimate middlemen and promise to help the unsuspecting individuals get seasonal jobs in Italy. Their ploy was able to collect almost €5,000.00 or Php 299,100 from each of the poor victims.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapiliz-Baldoz said, “In May this year, and subsequently almost regularly, we have warned our people against falling victims to these unscrupulous criminals.  We are reiterating our warning and are asking the people more concrete information so we could catch and send illegal recruiters to jail,” Baldoz said.

Baldoz informed that most of the victims come from the region of Ilocos where family members applied as direct hires of their own relatives and/or friends in Italy.

The Labor secretary based her information from the report of Labor Attaché Chona Mantilla of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Rome.

Baldoz also encouraged the victims of illegal recruitment to file formal complaints at the Philippine Embassy in Rome so that the POLO can forward their concern to the POEA Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch. She said that the government agencies are having a difficult time prosecuting the illegal recruiters because the victims are not fully cooperating with them.

Baldoz stressed that under the 22-point labor and employment agenda of President Benigno S. Aquino III, POLOs must implement a strict monitoring system for workers at jobsites to determine those who did not pass through the legal processes of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the membership and pre-departure orientation procedures of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the post-arrival orientation seminar of the POLO.