The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has shut down Hikari Japanese Learning Center Corp. for illegally recruiting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for jobs in Japan.
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac ordered the closure of the center for violating recruitment regulations. He emphasized that the move is part of the agency’s intensified campaign against illegal recruitment, in line with directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We strongly warn our kababayans—do not deal with recruitment entities that do not have proper licenses or authorization from the DMW,” Cacdac stated, highlighting the risks of unauthorized job placements.
The closure was carried out by the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), in coordination with local authorities, at Hikari’s main office in Panabo City, Davao Del Norte, along with its branches in Manila, Rosario (Cavite), Davao City, and General Santos City.
Hikari was found to be operating without the required DMW license while offering jobs in Japan under the Technical Internship Training Program (TITP) and Specified Skilled Worker Program (SSWP). The company charged applicants P33,710 for a four-month language training course, with promises of job placements in hotel and restaurant services, food processing, caregiving, farming, and food manufacturing.
Authorities revealed that Hikari referred trainees who passed language proficiency and skills tests to its partner agencies for deployment, despite lacking legal authorization to recruit workers.
Following its closure, the company’s management faces illegal recruitment charges, and its officers have been added to the DMW’s blacklist, preventing them from participating in government recruitment programs.
The DMW urged victims of Hikari’s operations to seek legal assistance through the MWPB by contacting them via their Facebook page, email (mwpb@dmw.gov.ph), or hotline (+63 2 8721-0619).
