THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) shut down the operations of BELMÜN, a consultancy firm operating in Makati City, for illegally recruiting Filipino workers for factory jobs in Poland.
The DMW through its Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) in coordination with the Makati police, padlocked the office of BELMÜN, located in Salcedo Village, Makati City.
Disguised as “Global Migration Training”, BELMÜN was actively recruiting and deploying workers without a valid DMW license.
“This is a serious offense committed by BELMÜN. We, at the DMW, will intensify our campaign against these unlicensed firms engaging in the recruitment and deployment of Filipino workers abroad,” said DMW Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia.
Surveillance operations conducted by the DMW’s Migrant Workers Office in Prague (MWO-Prague) revealed these illegal recruitment activities of the consultancy firm with BELMÜN allegedly operating through partnerships with undisclosed “POEA” registered agencies to send applicants to Poland.
The MWPB reports the firm was offering jobs to prospective applicants as factory workers in exchange for an “all-in payment” of at least Php165,000 for “processing” the worker’s employment documents, work permit, visa, and referral to foreign partner agencies.
Applicants are required to pay an initial fee of Php 56,000 for the processing of work permits with the remaining balance to be paid upon issuance of the work permit. The waiting time for this “processing” period could last for up to a year. Worse, applicants will have to shoulder the transportation costs going to their destination country.
Officers and personnel of BELMÜN face serious charges of illegal recruitment committed by a syndicate which is punishable by life imprisonment and fines ranging from P2,000,000 to P5,000,000.
Also, the officers and personnel of BELMÜN will be included in the DMW “List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Record” and shall be blacklisted from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program.
BELMÜN’s closure is the third such operation the DMW has conducted this year.
The DMW urges other applicants who fell victim to the illegal recruitment activities of BELMÜN or Global Migration Training to contact the MWPB for the filing of cases against the consultancy firm.
MWPB may be contacted through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip and through their email at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph.
