THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have shut down a church in Baras, Rizal, after discovering it was being used as a front for illegal recruitment operations.
An entrapment operation was conducted on April 28 against the Faithful Promise Foundation Philippines Inc., also known as Faithful Promise of Jesus Christ the Greatest Master Phil. Inc. or Faithful Promise Church in the Philippines, located in Santo Niño Compound, Sitio Paenaan, Baras, Rizal.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac ordered the closure of the church after it was confirmed to be illegally recruiting workers for jobs in Japan, Korea, and Papua New Guinea without the necessary DMW license.
Undersecretary Bernard Olalia stated that the closure was the result of thorough surveillance and the arrest of Pastor Esclarmonde Estrada Basalio, who allegedly solicited applicants from within the congregation. Olalia stated, “Victims included fellow parishioners, and some were offloaded at the airport. The worst part is they were still charged for this illegal service.”
NBI Cavite North District Chief Czar Eric Nuqui revealed that the group charged approximately ₱50,000 per applicant as a processing fee, under the guise of community work or missionary activities.
DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara added that applicants were promised jobs as factory workers, tea pickers, clerks, mechanical engineers, and construction workers with salaries ranging from ₱36,000 to ₱120,000 per month.
Applicants were reportedly given tourist visas and instructed to identify themselves as missionaries to immigration officials. Some applicants were offloaded at the airport, others were deployed abroad, and some are still awaiting deployment.
The operation was led by the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) in collaboration with the NBI.
The DMW urges anyone victimized by this religious group to report to the MWPB via hotline (02) 8721-0619, email mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip for immediate assistance and complaint processing.
