Local government units taking part in the Republic of Korea’s Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) should steer clear of any firm or individual claiming to handle recruitment, training, or deployment without proper authorization, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said in a fresh advisory.
Under the program’s rules, only one body carries official recognition from Seoul: the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (EPIS), designated as the “Central Government Agency Specialized in the Seasonal Worker Program.” No private Korean company, the DMW stressed, holds authority to arrange or broker sisterhood or twinning agreements linking Philippine LGUs with their South Korean counterparts for SWP purposes.
The guidance came through Advisory No. 54, Series of 2026, which spelled out a strict prohibition on the use of brokers anywhere in the recruitment and deployment chain for seasonal workers.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac framed the reminder as a safeguard rooted in existing overseas employment regulations. “Ito ay mahalagang paalala sa ating mga LGUs na bahagi ng Seasonal Workers Program sa Korea na huwag makipag-ugnayan sa mga hindi awtorisadong kumpanya o indibidwal para masiguro natin ang kapakanan at proteksyon ng ating mga Pilipinong seasonal workers ayon sa ating mga regulasyon na itinakda patungkol sa overseas employment,” he said, citing President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to protect Filipino workers abroad.
LGUs seeking clarification on the program can reach the DMW’s Pre-Employment and Government Placement Bureau (PEGPB) at the Ground Floor, DMW Building, Ortigas Avenue corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City, by phone at (02) 8722-1177, or by email at pegpb@dmw.gov.ph.
