The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) shut down another illegal operating consultancy firm in Pasay City on Friday, Nov. 24.

According to DMW, the consultancy firm 11 Sea’s Immigration Services has been promising jobs in Poland and charging exorbitant fees for the supposed processing of the applicants’ employment documents.

"The DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), with the help of the Pasay City police, padlocked the office of 11 Sea’s Immigration Services at Unit 82, 3rd Floor, Welcome Plaza Mall, Taft Avenue in Pasay City," the DMW said in its press release.

DMW said that the agency is neither licensed by the DMW to recruit and place Filipino workers overseas nor does it have any approved job orders.

MWPB's investigation showed that the agency is requesting at least Php 280,000 in "all-in payment" from applicants in order to process their documents.

However, if the applicant cannot afford the one-time payment, he or she should charged an initial payment of Php 50,000 and will be referred to their counterpart lending institution to apply for a loan for the payment of the remaining balance.

MWPB also discovered that 11 Sea's Immigration Services also offers jobs in Canada and uses a Facebook account to advertise their job offerings in Poland.

“I am reiterating this warning to our Kababayans, especially those who want to work overseas. Please, do not deal with consultancy firms that offer to get you jobs abroad. Always check the DMW website (www.dmw.gov.ph) for the list of licensed agencies and approved job orders,” DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac said.

Illegal recruitment will be filed against the said agency.