MANPOWER AGENCY IN MANILA CLOSED FOR ALLEGED ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has ordered the closure of Polaris Manpower and Documentation Services in Sta. Cruz, Manila for alleged illegal recruitment of Filipino workers under the guise of a government-to-government hiring scheme.

The operation was conducted by the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), in coordination with the Manila Police District, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), following a series of surveillance and validation activities.

Authorities found that Polaris was allegedly operating without a valid DMW license and offering overseas jobs for hotel workers, production operators or packers, and cleaners in Taiwan, Canada, Finland, and New Zealand.

Applicants were reportedly promised monthly salaries ranging from P170,000 to P210,000 and were asked to pay as much as P260,000 for supposed documentation and visa processing fees.

Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia, who led the operation, warned that the scheme exposed applicants to possible financial exploitation and misuse of government hiring programs, adding that the group’s referral-based recruitment activities could further expand the number of potential victims.

Olalia also clarified that legitimate government-to-government hiring programs do not require the participation of private agencies or third parties in the processing and deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

With this latest operation, the DMW has shut down a total of 11 establishments involved in alleged illegal recruitment activities in 2026 as part of intensified nationwide enforcement efforts against illegal recruiters.

The DMW continues to remind aspiring OFWs to verify licensed recruitment agencies and approved job orders through the official DMW website at DMW Official Website before applying for overseas jobs, while possible victims may seek assistance from the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau through its official Facebook page, email at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, or hotline at (+63 2) 8721-0619 for legal assistance and case filing support.