SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Friday urged the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to work on a “no placement fee” policy for Filipino workers entering Japan’s labor market.

He made the appeal as Japanese companies and employers have promised to employ more Filipinos in dialogues with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is currently on a five-day visit in Tokyo.

The personnel to be hired include seafarers, professionals and non-skilled workers.

Speaker Romualdez is part of the President’s delegation.

“I hope that the DMW can engage the recruitment industry and Japanese employers on how to make Japan a 100-percent no placement fee labor market,” the House leader said.

He said while trainees under the Technical Internship Training Program and specified skilled workers need not pay placement fees, there are Filipino job seekers who fall outside these categories that are being asked to pay, such as professionals and highly skilled workers.

He expressed elation over how Japanese employers treat their Filipino employees.

“We are happy to hear directly from our OFWs in Japan on how much they are valued by their employers, and vice versa,” he said.

The Speaker appealed to workers in Japan and job applicants in Manila “to report excessive and illegal fees to the DMW and through our Migrant Workers Offices in Osaka and Tokyo.”

“Congress will work with DMW in strengthening existing laws and regulations to enable the government to run after and punish those who collect illegal fees,” he said.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco