A travel agency connected to a licensed recruitment firm in Ermita, Manila has been caught illegally recruiting workers for jobs abroad.

On Friday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), in coordination with the Manila Police District (MPD), conducted an entrapment operation at Reiven Air Travel and Tours Consultancy.

According to DMW Assistant Secretary for Licensing and Adjudication Services Jerome Alcantara, Reiven Air was found recruiting workers for various jobs in Poland, including positions for fruit pickers, factory workers, and drivers.

“Reiven Air is colluding with a recruitment agency to collect fees and offer job promises to workers,” Alcantara said.

Atty. Jake Arcilla of the MPD said surveillance on Reiven Air had been ongoing since last month. During the entrapment, agency staff accepted a P70,000 processing fee from an undercover applicant.

Authorities also shut down Reliable Recruitment Corporation, the licensed agency linked to Reiven Air, on the same day. Undersecretary for Licensing and Adjudication Services Bernard Olalia confirmed that Reliable has a valid DMW license until 2026.

“The agency in question only has an accredited employer in Poland for mushroom pickers, but their job order is limited to that role,” Olalia explained.

John, a former overseas Filipino worker in Qatar and one of the complainants, said he was promised employment in Poland within six months as a mushroom picker. He applied in June 2024 but was left in limbo.

“They offered us jobs as mushroom pickers, but when our working visas came out, the position listed was factory worker,” he said.

He also said that Reiven Air uses Reliable’s office as their orientation area. 

The victim spent a total of P200,000 throughout the application process, which he acquired by pawning the land where his house stands.

Authorities confiscated 14 folders containing documents of workers scheduled to depart on 8 July. Olalia said the DMW is now verifying how many individuals Reiven Air processed for overseas deployment.