MANILA — Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said cases of illegal recruitment have been filed against 20 individuals involved in a brokering system to hire Filipinos seeking season agricultural work in South Korea through local government units.

During the House budget hearing for the DMW, Cacdac said some of the individuals charged are local LGU personnel and Koreans.

Cacdac said the DMW has already imposed a moratorium on warned LGUs against the illegal hiring process, saying recruitment should be free and that the employers should shoulder the payment.

Under the modus, recruits are being asked to pay or lend money from brokers.

"We put our foot down. Early this year we ... issued a set of guidelines with respect to proper processing of seasonal workers to Korea. Hindi po kami masaya sa nangyari na Philippine LGU to Korean LGU hiring," said Cacdac, when asked by Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas on the matter. "Kaya we stepped into the process, we put ourselves into the process and declared a moratorium and warned LGUs who continue to undertake this illegal hiring process."

"We filed cases against at least 20 individuals before the DOJ, including a number of Korean nationals who have undertaken illegal recruitment for Korea," he added.

He added the DMW is seeking to reform the system with the aim of undertaking a government to government agreement with South Korea.

“Ang endgame is a possible G to G agreement with Korea similar to our EPS program on factory workers. Gusto namin national level ang hiring in partnership with the Korean Ministry of Labor,” Cacdac said, pointing out that that the Korean justice ministry is currently handling the matter and that the DFA has been requested to bring in the Korean ministry of labor into the process.

DMW probing illegal recruitment scheme in South Korea’s seasonal workers program for OFWs

Asked about OFWs who have fallen victim to third country hiring to Poland and were charged exorbitant fees, Cacdac said three establishments have been closed down due to their involvement in illegal recruitment schemes to Poland.

The DMW, he said, also has given legal assistance to Filipino detained in countries like Algeria and Turkiye over drug trafficking charges.

Cacdac, meanwhile, assured OFWs that legal assistance is free for those in need given the Aksyon fund of the agency that covers legal assistance, labor and welfare related assistance, medical and repatriation, and financial assistance.

He said the DMW also plans to hire more internal or in house lawyers for every post who will be under the direct supervision of labor attaches. He vows to take up with the concerned attache complaints about difficulty in accessing legal assistance.

Cacdac also reported 3 convictions against perpetrators of rape against OFWs. The agency has also sent home around 250 “OFW babies” born out of wedlock abroad “with no legal identity due to some immigration and other types of issues and concerns.”

"We have lawyers on top to handle the immigration complexities in these particular situations. The result is 250 OFW babies have come home and been reunited with their families here who are only too willing to accept them as Filipinos," Cacdac said.

Asked by ACT Teachers party list Rep. France Castro on a reported memo from MECO that effective September 1, 2024, the migrant workers office in Taipei will “only accept documents for individual contract verification for rehire or transfer workers whose OWWA, SSS and Pagibig membership are active,” Cacdac said he will “sit down with the labor attache who issued the corresponding memorandum”  and stressed to that any DMW authorization or clearance should not be tied with with any payments to any agency.

Castro said: “Ibig sabihin nyan, yung mga OFW natin sa Taiwan or baka ma apply na rin siguro ito sa iba ibang mga bansa, na kung hindi updated ang kanilang OWWA, SSS, Pagibig and Philhealth ay hindi maveverify o mapipirmahan ang kanilang kontrata… I understand mga mandated ito na mga fees pero nagpapahirap po ito sa ating mga manggagawa sa Taiwan.”

“Pag aaralan po namin ito. I need to sit down with the labor attache who issued the corresponding memorandum. Kaisa niyo po ako sa pag delink ng any DMW authorization or clearance with any payments to any government or private entity or agency. We know for sure na ang OWWA, SSS and PAG-Ibig memberships are mandatory under the law but the manner in which the premiums or contributions will be collected can be another thing. Hindi po kailangang itali sa anumang DMW transaction or issuance,” Cacdac responded.

Castro said she will file a bill exempting OFWs from the payment of the mandatory fees for SSS, Philhealth and PAGIBIG “kasi tingin nila hindi nakakatulong sa kanila habang sila ay nandoon sa host country.”

The DMW is requesting a budget of around P8.5 billion under the 2025 national expenditure program, about 16 percent lower than what was allotted in the 2024 General Appropriations Act. Lawmakers have expressed support to increase the agency’s budget.