US-bound Filipinos Warned Against Unscrupulous Labor Recruiters

22Aug10

The Philippine Embassy in Guam reiterates the “no recruitment fee” policy of the United States for foreign workers as it continues to receive reports that Filipino applicants paid manpower agencies substantial amounts for placement or recruitment fees.

Philippine Consul General Bayani S. Mercado, in a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, said he met with U.S. State Department Acting Fraud Prevention Manager Clay Allen to discuss joint measures to inform the general public about the U.S.’ no recruitment policy for workers under the H2-B classification bound for the United States and its territories.

Mr. Allen was accompanied by Mr. Reynaldo Beltran, Consular Investigations Assistant at the U.S. Embassy in Manila; and Mr. Douglas carter of the Consular Security Service.

During the meeting, Mr. Allen reiterated that his office continues to process applicants bound for Guam who admit that they are paying manpower agencies placement or recruitment fees.

He added that Topline Manpower Services, a Philippine-based manpower agency, continues to operate as a labor recruitment agency despite the U.S. Embassy in Manila’s notification to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Mr. Allen expressed his willingness to meet with Philippine Government officials, including the Philippine media, for an information campaign on the U.S. policy. He added that his office is looking closely at applications for H2-B workers.

The U.S. Embassy’s Anti-Fraud division has been working closely with the Guam Department of Labor and other federal agencies in Guam to ascertain that workers coming from the Philippines are employed in the jobs they were hired for, and at the salary scales stated in their applications.