Question & AnswerQ&A (POEA ADVISORY NO. 24, S. OF 2007)
The advisory highlights cases where Filipina caregivers arrived in Canada without genuine employers, leading to situations such as facing deportation or suffering abuse without being able to complain due to discrepancies in their employers' identity as specified in their work permits.
OFWs planning to work as caregivers in Canada should have their employment contracts verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) located at the Philippine embassies in their respective work sites.
The POLO checks the authenticity of the prospective employer through the verification process to protect OFWs from fraudulent recruitment and employment practices.
It protects OFWs from unscrupulous foreign recruitment agencies and employers who use third countries as jump-off points to hire Filipinos for jobs, preventing issues such as illegal recruitment, exploitation, and abuse.
They risk arriving in Canada with non-genuine employers, which could result in deportation or exploitation, and being unable to file complaints or receive legal protection due to discrepancies in work permits.
Any information about illegal recruitment practices should be reported to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch.
The contact numbers provided are (63.2) 721.0619 and (63.2) 721.0650.
A work permit is an official document that specifies the employer authorized to employ the Filipino worker in Canada, and should match the actual employer where the worker will be employed.