Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva yesterday aired their support to stop the collection of placement fees from Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“Yes, these fees should be abolished. If foreign employers want staff, workers, and employees, then they (the employers) should shoulder these placement fees,” Pimentel said.
He said recruiters who are “agents” should get their profits from employers, who are the ones profiting from the “transaction.”
Villanueva added that it is a good policy for others to follow Japan which is “no charging of placement fees.”
“Let us get rid of the placement fees in all counties,” he said.
He said it is clearly stated in the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act that there should be no collection of any fees like government fees and even other administrative costs in recruitment, introduction, placement and assistance. Macon Ramos-Araneta
“We just need to ensure its proper implementation and arrest those who will extort illegal fees from our OFWs," also said Villanueva. "So we include in the Department of Migrant Workers Act the Global Compact for Migration policies on fair and ethical recruitment to guarantee the protection of our new heroes,” he said.
