A number of recruitment and manning agencies still owe the government at least P159.3 million for the expenses incurred in the repatriation of their deployed overseas Filipino workers (OFW) since the start of the pandemic early last year. At a Senate hearing on Thursday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) disclosed this was the amount the agency shelled out to bring home OFWs who are still covered by their respective recruitment and manning agencies.
OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac noted only a few of the 450,000 OFWs they repatriated since last year have the same arrangement since most of them are already returning OFWs.
Usually, only newly hired OFWs go through recruitment or manning agencies.
Once their initial contract expires, they could choose to renew it without the intervention of the recruitment agencies, Cacdac explained, adding both parties are no longer covered by their contract obligation, including repatriation expenses.
Possible sanctions
In a phone interview, Cacdac told the BusinessMirror OWWA had already sent demand letters to the 601 recruitment and manning agencies with unpaid repatriation cost.
After the concerned agencies failed to respond to their demands, OWWA endorsed them to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) for possible sanctions.
“POEA will be the one to investigate since we have no disciplinary authority,” Cacdac said.
POEA could suspend or cancel the licenses of the concerned recruitment or manning agencies if they will fail to settle the claims of OWWA.
In case they have their licenses have already been revoked, POEA could access the escrow deposit of the said firms to pay OWWA.