The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday closed down a recruitment firm in Manila for alleged illegal recruitment.

According to the DMW, Maxilum Recruitment Agency/Cell Venus Elite Workforce Manpower and Recruitment Agenxy Inc. (Maxilum) was reportedly recruiting Filipino workers for Japan, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.

Prior to the closure of the recruitment firm, it's owner– Celisti Maxilum–was arrested in an entrapment operation on 25 March 2026, together with her Russian fiancé and their two armed body guards.

According to the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau, Maxilum was recruiting Filipino workers for overseas employment without the necessary license and without any approved job orders.

The agency enticed applicants on social media, such as TikTok, by offering overseas jobs as factory and production workers, with an estimated monthly salary of P90,000 to P100,000 under a three-year contract.

Applicants were also required to pay in full placement or processing fees, ranging from P35,000 to P72,500, via online payment channels before their documents were processed. Despite such payments, they were not deployed nor processed for overseas employment.

A total of eight illegal recruitment establishments so far have been shut down by the DMW this year.

The DMW said they will be closing down more firms engaged in these illegal activities to protect workers seeking gainful, legal employment overseas.

Meanwhile, aspiring OFWs were urged to always check the DMW website (www.dmw.gov.ph) for the list of licensed and accredited agencies with approved job orders to avoid being victimized by illegal recruiters.