Following allegations of unlawful recruitment practices, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said that the deployment of seasonal workers to South Korea via local government units (LGUs) has been temporarily halted.
According to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, the processing of workers from seven LGUs to South Korea under the seasonal workers program (SWP) has been stopped.
Cacdac did not name the seven LGUs.
Curbing illegal deployment
According to Cacdac, the ruling is part of a continuous drive to stop illegal hiring practices in the country.
“We are also being very strict about compliance with protective mechanisms regarding the safety and well-being of the seasonal workers. And for that reason, the processing of workers from seven LGUs has been put on hold for various reasons,” Cacdac said.
A DMW team may travel to South Korea to carry out additional monitoring and to physically assess the conditions of the seasonal workers who are employed, he added.
Workers in SoKor
According to DMW, more than 6,100 employees have been sent out thus far accompanied by appropriate employment contracts, insurance against industrial accidents, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) membership in South Korea.
In order to guarantee the welfare of the OFWs, the DMW has been putting in place a monitoring system in collaboration with the OWWA and the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.
