By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
On account of rising incidences of Filipinos being repatriated from online “scam hubs” in foreign nations, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has vowed to enforce tougher regulations to combat the rise in online job scams that victimize common folk on the hunt for a job overseas.
The action comes at the heels of a Senate inquiry on Wednesday, April 23, where Sen. Raffy Tulfo has shed light on the scale of the problem, in which Filipinos that fall prey to the scams end up as victims of human trafficking abroad.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac assured the public that it is coordinating with social media platforms such as Facebook and Tiktok to stem the ebb and flow of fake job postings in the domestic cyberspace.
“Nakapagtala tayo ng 73,714 take downs sa Facebook at TikTok. Araw-araw ay patuloy ang ating monitoring at may aktibong kooperasyon tayo sa Meta para labanan ang mga sindikatong gumagaya sa mga lehitimong recruitment agencies,” Sec. Cacdac said.
Meanwhile, DMW has reaffirmed its commitment toward supporting Filipinos who were victimized by scam hubs. The migrant workers czar has also vowed to strengthen their coordination with the IACAT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) to safeguard the welfare of Filipinos seeking for job opportunities abroad.
Protecting OFWs from unscrupulous lending practices
At the same Senate hearing, the DMW has also pledged to double down on its efforts to ensure the well-being of OFWs and their families, particularly the troubled OFWs facing unmanageable debt from loan sharks.
“Unfortunately, sa Hong Kong legal yong 48%, na interest rate. However, we are actively pursuing harassers in partnership with the Hong Kong police,” Cacdac explained, stating that the agency has partnered with Hong Kong authorities to tackle the cases of distressed and troubled OFWs in the special administrative region who are victims of predatory lending practices.
Cacdac’s statement was in response to Sen. Tulfo’s disclosure of the alarming cases of suicides among OFWs in Hong Kong linked to financial misfortunes.
He points out the burden of high-interest loans as the culprit driving up such incidents, in which informal lenders charge exorbitant interest rates and employ agents who harass borrowers who are struggling to repay their loans.
The DMW, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Financial Intelligence Unit is now integrating warnings into the Post-Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) for newly arrived OFWs to educate them about managing debts and avoiding multiple loans.
Aside from partnering with the HK Police, the DMW in partnership with its attached agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), will be launching a dedicated 24/7 hotline service for OFWs and their families to ensure the well-being of OFWs and their families by providing timely and compassionate support.
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