FDHs to help screen employment agencies

Dela Torre

To promote transparency, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) has required Hong Kong employment agencies applying for accreditation to inform the public of their application.

Labor Attache Jalilo Dela Torre said this would help ensure that the Filipino community is aware of the agencies application and those who opposed it can inform the POLO.

“This is to promote transparency. Tapos, baka may mga information yung community about this applicant para malaman namin,” Dela Torre said in an interview.

“Kung adverse ang record niya sa community, di na natin i-approve,” he added.

The notice to be posted in newspapers of general circulation in the Filipino community will include the agency’s name, office address, the name of the licensee, its years of existence, it’s license number from the Labour Department, the names of its officers, and the name of its partner agency and its office address in the Philippines.

The agency should also reveal if it’s a limited company, a partnership, or is owned by an individual person.

“This is for us to know the extent of their obligation,” Dela Torre said.

Those who have any “adverse information” about the applicant can then send this to the POLO through the e-mail: polo.hongkong@yahoo.com

Dela Torre said any information they receive will be treated with confidentiality.

As of May 28, the POLO chief said they were processing around applications from around 30 employment agencies. He added that there are currently around 350 Hong Kong employment agencies accredited with the POLO.