DMW defends unlicensed Baguio training, placement facilities’ closure

BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) defended its closure of three local training and consultancy centers in Baguio City on Thursday, affirming that the enforcement action followed months of surveillance into illegal overseas recruitment schemes.

DMW Cordillera regional director Cherryl Daytec-Yangot confirmed that officials padlocked Ausphin International Institute Culinary Arts and Business Management Inc., Ausphin Recruitment, and Ausphin Consultancy along Marcos Highway, alongside two linked branches in Pasig City.

An agency investigation revealed that the firms lacked valid government licenses to recruit or deploy workers abroad, yet collected substantial fees — denominated in both Philippine pesos and Australian dollars — under the guise of tuition, consultancy, and placement charges for prospective workers bound for Australia.

According to the DMW, jobseekers paid hundreds of thousands of pesos based on employment promises that failed to materialize.

Authorities are gathering sworn statements from complainants to prepare administrative and criminal charges against the company’s officers.

Addressing public pushback from individuals claiming successful deployment through the centers, Daytec-Yangot stated that positive outcomes for some clients do not excuse the unlicensed operations or erase the financial losses suffered by exploited victims.

The DMW cited it is coordinating with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to assist scholars and students enrolled at the padlocked centers, ensuring they receive their academic credentials without disruption.