Sen. Marcos: Protect newly-grad job seekers against illegal recruiters
and fly-by-night employment agencies

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. has called on the government to tighten the noose against illegal recruiters and fly-by-night manning and placement agencies that are expected to proliferate after the graduation of the students. In a statement, Marcos called on the Department of Labor (DoLE) and the national police to protect fresh graduates who will be looking for jobs in order to prevent them from falling victims to these syndicates.

Some 700,000 college students will be joining the labor force after their graduation this March, adding up to the country's 2.96 million unemployed workers.

"Knowing that the young new workers are eager to get employed, illegal recruiters and fake manning agencies sprout almost everywhere to make a fast buck. Sisingilin nila 'yung mga aplikante ng kung anu-ano mula sa application form hanggang sa litrato at pati yata thumbmark. 'Tapos kinabukasan sarado na 'yung opisina, kinuha lang pala pera nila," Marcos said in a statement.

Marcos said the labor department should come up with guidelines on how to apply for a job, list of legal employment agencies, as well as list of basic requirements to be submitted and fees allowed by law to be collected.

The senator advised the applicants to seek, as much as possible, direct hiring offices instead of employment agencies. "The DoLE should caution, either through their website or in the media, the new applicants against illegal recruiters for both local and foreign employment. It should come up with a list of registered placement agencies. The DoLE should also make the applicants aware of the relevant requirements needed to be complied with and the fees that should be paid when applying for a job so that they will not be duped," he said. Marcos likewise called on the leadership of the Philippine National Police to set up complaint desk in every precinct for complaints against illegal recruiters.

"This way, the applicants will be able to instantly seek assistance against swindlers. 'Yung police sa mga presinto kasi alam nila kung bago ang opisina sa kanilang lugar kaya 'pag may opisina na bagong bukas at nagre-recruit ng aplikante eh mamo-monitor nila agad nila whether the office is legal or not," he said.