THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) shut down the operations of High Dreamer Travel and Tours Services located in Catmon, Malolos, Bulacan before noon, this Friday.
The operation was led by DMW Usec. Bernard Olalia and other officials of the department.
“We are closing down establishments that recruit, hire, refer, deploy, accept placement fees from workers to work abroad,” said Usec. Bernard Olalia, DMW.
“This agency has been proven to refer to a legitimate agency, that is not allowed, so we will close it down and gather evidence to file charges,” said Olalia.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac even mentioned that the Filipino Community in Poland reported the illegal activities of High Dreamer to the Migrant Workers Office in Prague (MWO-Prague).
“Once again, the Filipino Community in Poland proved to be a valuable ally in stopping these illegal activities. We thank them for their vigilance in reporting the illegal activities of High Dreamer to our Migrant Workers Office in Prague (MWO-Prague),” stated Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, DMW.
MWO-Prague, which has jurisdiction over Poland, conducted an investigation and found out that High Dreamer was offering jobs to Filipinos in other countries through Facebook.
High Dreamer does not have a valid license to offer jobs in other countries and is not a recruitment agency recognized by the DMW.
Initial investigation shows that the agency was offering jobs such as production workers, agricultural workers, cleaners, restaurant workers, construction workers, and cleaners in various European countries, particularly in Croatia, with monthly salaries between P70,000 and P80,000.
It was learned that High Dreamer was collecting a processing fee of P100,000 and a placement fee of P300,000 from each applicant.
The payment is non-refundable and can be settled in three installments.
Officers and personnel of High Dreamer will face serious charges of illegal recruitment, be included in the DMW’s “List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Record,” and be banned from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program.
The closure of the travel agency is the 10th closure operation since January 2024 conducted by the DMW to crack down on illegal recruiters preying on OFWs and applicants who wish to work abroad.
