No placement fee for Hong Kong-bound domestic workers

FIFTY-TWO recruitment agencies maintained they are not collecting placement fee from Filipino household service workers bound for Hong Kong.

The Society of Hong Kong Accredited Recruiters of the Philippines (Sharp) said the names of the 52 agencies will be listed on posters to be disseminated nationwide to local governments, local public employment service offices (Pesos), provincial and regional offices of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), non-government associations and civic groups, as well as on the POEA website.

Sharp imposed the collection moratorium last February to convince Hong Kong employers to shoulder the costs of recruitment and deployment and stop passing on such expenses to workers.

Sharp also agreed to improve its training module for HSWs to enhance their skills, personality, and job-preparedness.

The move is in line with the recent initiative of the government to turn overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) into goodwill ambassadors in their host countries.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz earlier issued a directive to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to draft a module for the pre-departure orientation seminar that will educate OFWs about Philippine culture and Filipino values. (HDT/Sunnex)