The Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in China have observed an increasing number of cases of illegal recruitment of Filipinos in China, and renews its warning to Filipinos to beware of falling prey to unscrupulous parties who offer them jobs as household service workers (HSWs), teachers or musicians.

In the past months, the Embassy and the Consulates General have assisted and repatriated to the Philippines victims of illegal recruiters who were recruited for non-existing or illegal jobs, and ended up staying in China with inappropriate documentation.

The modus operandi of these illegal recruiters include:

• promising jobs as HSWs in China despite the prohibition on foreign nationals working in the domestic service sector in China;

• "recruitment" through agents in Hong Kong and Macau;

• facilitating travel of the recruited individuals to China using tourist visas and via another city in the region;

• posing as consultancy companies that offer "training seminars" in China for professional positions when in fact these "trainees" end up being hired illegally as HSWs; and

• recruitment via the Internet.

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing and the Philippine Consulates General in Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, and Macau, and the Office of the Philippine Police Liaison Attaché in Beijing, continue to assist and repatriate Filipinos who find themselves in difficult situations as a result of their illegal recruitment. They also continue to coordinate with the local Chinese authorities on the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of these illegal recruiters.

The public is advised to be wary of offers for employment in semi-skilled jobs in China as these sectors remain restricted and closed to foreigners. Activities of individuals and recruitment agencies who may be engaged in illegal recruitment must be reported immediately to relevant authorities, including the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (OUMWA-DFA).

In Hong Kong, suspected illegal recruiters can be reported to the Assistance to Nationals section (tel. no. +852 9155 4023) or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (tel. no. +852 6080 8323) of the Philippine Consulate General or e-mail hongkongpc@philcongen-hk.com.