POLO eyes shared portal of banned employers

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre

PHILIPPINE officials are set to propose a shared portal with the Indonesian Consulate for the cross-checking of employers in Hong Kong that were watchlisted or blacklisted by either of the two agencies.

“The portal is just a simple portal. We have our own database and they have their own database, but we can not in wholesale fashion share private information.

“Ang gagawin lang namin is that through the portal, we will encode the name of the employer, and it will answer back yes or no if the employer has a hit or a record,” said Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre.

He said this proposal would be presented to the Indonesian Consulate.

During the latest Technical Working Group meeting between Philippine and Hong Kong officials, held on July 19, the latter inquired about the practice of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to watchlist or blacklist employers, according to a report submitted by the Philippine Consulate General to the Department of Foreign Affairs office in Manila.

“LD suggested that employer should know the criteria of watchlisting andor blacklisting as this practice may result in public outrage.

“LD suggested that blacklisting should be applicable only for employers who violate wages ordinance or commit any criminal offense. LD suggests calling the employers to validate the complaint against them,” the report said.

The report also added that the LD requested “updates” on the sharing of  information for watchlisted/blacklisted employers with the Indonesian Consulate.

Asked by Hong Kong News to comment on the LD’s suggestions, Dela Torre said Philippine and Indonesian officials were “just trying to protect” their nationals.

“It’s a prerogative of the two consulates to protect their nationals. We’re not sharing any private information,” he said.

As of the first half of the year or until June 30, employers who were barred from hiring a Filipino domestic helper numbered 5,791, data from POLO showed. POLO started putting employers on watchlist in 2006. From January to June this year, 265 employers were also included on the watchlist.

Dela Torre said the portal to be shared with the Indonesian Consulate seeks to put an end to the practice of abusive employers hiring Indonesian domestic workers when barred from hiring Filipinos and vice versa.

Reasons for being watchlisted included being a “terminator” or employers who frequently terminate FDHs, and refusal to settle the last month’s salary or pay for the FDH’s return flight to the Philippines.

Being on the watchlist means an employer’s application to hire a new Filipino domestic helper would not be approved.

An employer may be removed from the watchlist if POLO sees the employer’s latest domestic worker had renewed their contract.

On the other hand, employers on the blacklist were those whose workers filed a police report against them, particularly those involving complaints of maltreatment, and assault.

They also consider the working conditions a worker would have in the employer’s home.