KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (February 26) — In a region where overseas employment remains a lifeline for many families, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Region 12 is sharpening its governance tools to protect aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from illegal recruitment.
Across SOCCSKSARGEN, the promise of jobs abroad often comes with high stakes — recruitment fees, borrowed money, and the hope of lifting entire households out of poverty. But alongside legitimate opportunities, fraudulent recruiters continue to prey on job seekers.
For DMW-12, the response is both regulatory and preventive.
Enforcement with accountability
In 2025, the regional office shut down two illegal recruitment agencies and referred 23 cases for court action as of December, signaling closer coordination with law enforcement and partner agencies to ensure cases move beyond complaints and into prosecution.
“Isa-isa po nating tinututukan itong mga illegal recruiters sa SOCCSKSARGEN,” said Assistant Regional Director Jeannette E. Escaño during the “Performing and Informing” program of the Philippine Information Agency Region 12.
The office also inspected 44 recruitment agencies operating branch offices across the region this year. Only those that met national standards were allowed to continue operations — a reminder that compliance is not automatic but earned through scrutiny.
“Ininspeksyon natin ito base sa ating mandato, at kapag pumasa sila, sila na po ay mga legitimate recruitment agencies,” Escaño said.
The inspections form part of the DMW’s broader governance mandate: to regulate recruitment practices, safeguard migrant workers’ rights, and ensure that overseas employment pathways are lawful and transparent.
Bringing the campaign to communities
Beyond crackdowns, DMW-12 is investing in grassroots awareness — a recognition that prevention begins long before contracts are signed.
Anti-illegal recruitment caravans have reached municipalities such as Lebak, Columbio, and Pigcawayan, as well as campuses including South East Asian Institute of Technology Inc. in Tupi, Mindanao State University–General Santos City, Regency Polytechnic College, and Korbel Foundation Inc. in Koronadal City.
By targeting schools and rural communities, the agency aims to intercept misinformation at its source. Students and first-time job seekers are taught how to verify licensed agencies, check approved job orders, and identify common red flags such as upfront fees and “too-good-to-be-true” offers.
Officials urge applicants to cross-check agencies and job postings through the DMW’s official website, dmw.gov.ph, before engaging in any transaction.
Safety nets for victims
For those already victimized, DMW-12 highlighted the AKSYON Fund, which provides up to ₱50,000 in financial assistance. The support helps cover immediate needs while victims pursue legal remedies — a critical intervention in cases where families have already incurred debts.
The fund reflects a governance approach that pairs enforcement with social protection, acknowledging that illegal recruitment is not just a criminal issue but a socio-economic one.
A regional responsibility
In SOCCSKSARGEN, where remittances from overseas workers fuel local economies and sustain small businesses, protecting migrant workers is closely tied to regional stability.
By combining inspections, prosecutions, information drives, and financial assistance, DMW-12 positions itself not only as a regulator but as a frontline defender of the “overseas dream.”
“Payo lang po sa ating mga aspirants, we have so many legal recruitment agencies in the region and all over the country. Doon po tayo pumunta,” Escaño said.
For thousands of families banking on opportunities abroad, vigilance — backed by responsive governance — may be the strongest safeguard of all.
