The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) took swift action on Monday, 12 February 2024, by closing the operations of BELMÜN, a consultancy firm located in Makati City. The firm was found to be illegally recruiting Filipino workers for factory jobs in Poland.
Disguised under the name “Global Migration Training,” BELMÜN was actively engaging in recruitment and deployment without a valid DMW license. In coordination with the Makati police, the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) padlocked BELMÜN’s office situated in Salcedo Village, Makati City.
Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia, Officer-in-Charge of DMW, emphasized the seriousness of the offense committed by BELMÜN. The DMW vows to strengthen its campaign against unlicensed firms involved in the overseas recruitment of Filipino workers.
Surveillance operations conducted by the DMW’s Migrant Workers Office in Prague (MWO-Prague) exposed BELMÜN’s illegal activities, which allegedly included partnerships with undisclosed “POEA” registered agencies to send applicants to Poland.
Reports from the MWPB indicate that BELMÜN was soliciting applicants for factory positions in Poland, demanding an “all-in payment” of at least Php165,000 for processing employment documents, work permits, visas, and referrals to foreign partner agencies. Initial fees of Php 56,000 were required, with the balance due upon work permit issuance, a process that could take up to a year. Furthermore, applicants were burdened with covering transportation costs to their destination country.
Those involved with BELMÜN face severe charges of illegal recruitment by a syndicate, punishable by life imprisonment and hefty fines ranging from P2,000,000 to P5,000,000. Additionally, they will be blacklisted from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program and listed in the DMW’s “List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Record.”