The Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday reminded the public, particularly overseas Filipino workers against recruitment schemes that promise greener pastures in third countries.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo de Vega said the department has issued circulars to various posts across the globe to warn OFWs against scams preying on them.

“We have long issued circulars to all posts to frequently remind local Filipinos to be wary of recruitment schemes to third countries,” De Vega said.

Last month, Al Jazeera, an international media organization, released a two-part investigative series on the illegal recruitment schemes that are victimizing OFWs in Hong Kong.

In search for greener pastures, several Filipinos in Hong Kong were said to have shelled out exorbitant amounts of money, in exchange for what turned out to be nonexistent jobs in Poland.

‘Proactive’

In a forwarded message from De Vega’s conversation with Philippine Consul General in Hong Kong Germinia Aguilar-Usudan about the matter, the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said the illegal recruitment scheme was not exactly a new thing.

“As early as 2021, the PCGHK proactively engaged the Polish Consulate on this. We (my team ATN and POLO) met with the Polish Consulate and informed them that we neither allow direct recruitment nor third-country recruitment of Filipinos,” Aguilar-Usudan said.

“We issued many advisories on this warning Filipinos about the dangers but they continued entertaining this, thinking Poland offers greener pastures,” she added.

The consul general said the Philippine post in Hong Kong “tried to correct this misimpression but many are still falling for these scams.”

“Hong Kong does not stop anyone who has valid visas from leaving Hong Kong that is why many can leave. We have reported on this as early as 2021 but the recruitment continues to this day,” she said.

“Our recommendation was and until today is to forge a Labor Agreement with the Polish side to fix this problem effectively,” she added.

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to Poland Leah Basinang-Ruiz said the matter is being discussed with Polish authorities.

“We are discussing this with Polish authorities and expect to reinforce it during forthcoming political consultations,” Basinang-Ruiz said.