Filipino job seekers were offered chef and cook positions in Australia with monthly pay of P200,000 to P250,000, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). The agency shut down five companies behind those offers on September 25, 2026. It said the firms are connected to the AUSPHIN Group and carried out illegal recruitment and placement for overseas Filipino workers.
Applicants who had the required work experience were allegedly asked to pay a processing fee of up to P95,000. The DMW said some applicants were also charged separately for training and materials.
Three of the closed entities are in Baguio City: AUSPHIN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE Culinary Arts & Business Management Inc., AUSPHIN Recruitment, and AUSPHIN Consultancy. The other two, AUSKILLS INC. and VISUME INC. / VISUME APP, are based in Pasig City.
Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara led the closures with personnel from the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB). The operations are part of the department’s broader campaign against illegal recruiters.
Alcantara said the case is under investigation and asked earlier victims to come forward.
“May complainant tayo via email at insider at nagsasagawa tayo ng in-depth investigation… Nananawagan tayo sa iba pang naging biktima nito in the past na gustong magsampa ng reklamo, narito ang DMW-MWPB para mag-assist,” Alcantara said.
Anyone who wants to file a complaint can contact the DMW-MWPB through its dmwairtip Facebook page or by email at airtipinfo@dmw.gov.ph. With these five closures, the DMW has now shut 48 establishments so far in 2026.
The department advised OFWs and other Filipinos seeking jobs abroad to first confirm that any agency they deal with is licensed and authorized. It also warned them not to pay recruitment-related fees to companies that do not hold the proper license.
