Many Boholano jobseekers still fall prey to illegal recruiters despite the aggressive campaign of the Bohol Employment and Placement Office (BEPO) against it complemented by the Public Employment Service Office in the towns.

Reinerio Augsuto Real, officer in charge of the Overseas Filipino Workers Affairs of the provincial government, said the problem on illegal recruitment continues to hound Boholanos because work applicants tend to ignore the precautions and the general advice of BEPO and the PESO to always verify any recruitment activities with their offices.

BEPO and PESO officers have constantly reminded jobseekers not to easily believe attractive promises of individuals offering work abroad, especially when placement fees are collected.

Real reiterated that work applicants should always verify with the PESO office in their town if such recruiter or recruitment company offering work abroad is legitimate so that the PESO office can also verify it at the embassy.

He warned that there are unscrupulous recruitment groups or agents who will bring the names of registered recruitment agencies.

In most cases, the victims rushed for any opportunity just to land a job abroad.

There are recruitment agencies that no longer bothered to check the conditions of the recruits in the workplace abroad.

BEPO created the OFW Help Desk, now being managed by Real, and the Anti-Illegal Recruitment Desk to spare the Boholano jobseekers from falling prey to illegal recruiters.

Real advised jobseekers to be watchful against recruiters who conduct negotiations for employment opportunities at private residences.

He reminded that the law requires special recruitment authority and approval from the POEA before any recruitment agency can process applications of jobseekers.

The recruitment process should be conducted in a public place like the municipal or city hall, PESI office in the towns or at the Capitol building in Tagbilaran City.

Any recruitment process conducted in private places must be suspected of irregular transaction, according to Real.

He also advised jobseekers to always inquire and verify for the validity of any recruitment activities at the BEPO, DOLE or Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to avoid being victimized by illegal recruiters.

Moreover, the OFW Help Desk also assist Boholanos who encounter problems with their employment abroad.

Real confirmed that the OFW Help Desk had assisted the return of three Boholanos after losing their jobs at the Middle East following the impact of slump of the oil prices in the Middle East.

Two of them came from Saudi Arabia and one from Kuwait. They were among the OFWs retrenched because of the problems that the companies they worked for had been affected by the sudden and rapid slump of oil prices in the world market.

Real said the OFW Help Desk processed their documents so that the three OFWs from Bohol could ask assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the POEA, considering that they returned home without any benefits from the companies they worked for.