DMW to rate recruiting agencies by compliance

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Thursday it plans to rate employers and recruiting agencies based on their track record of compliance with labor standards and treatment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In a statement, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan V. Ople said the scheme involves a “white list” of compliant recruiters and employers.

The DMW will also maintain a blacklist of foreign employers and recruiting agencies found to have committed violations, including exploitation and abuse of OFWs.

Ms. Ople said the DMW hopes to tailor employment contracts to each destination country’s labor laws and migration policy.

She also warned against fraudulent recruitment offers that could cause workers to be trafficked.

“We also appeal to our countrymen to be more discerning about such bogus offers, and to report illegal recruiters and human traffickers to the DMW,” said Ms. Ople.

On Monday, the DMW ordered the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency to suspend a department order that required rehired and directly hired OFWs to pay compulsory insurance premiums.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) had issued Department Order No. 228 requiring employers and migrant workers to pay for insurance coverage, subject to a full refund on the day of arrival at the destination.

DoLE said the measure was meant to serve as a “protective insurance mechanism against OFWs contracting the coronavirus.”

Ms. Ople cited the improving global health situation and the high vaccination rates among OFWs as a reason to suspend compulsory insurance coverage. — John Victor D. Ordoñez