Maritime Firm Posing as Recruitment Agency Shut Down by DMW

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has shut down a shipping company, R. T. M. Maritime Consultancy Services Corp., for posing as a recruitment agency. The company was found to not have a valid license or accreditation from the department, yet it was receiving and processing applications and referring them to its partner manning agency. R. T. M. Maritime Consultancy Services Corp. was collecting consultation fees ranging from P105,000 to P140,000 from applicants who were promised fake jobs as seafarers in Dubai.

Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac stated that they cannot allow unlicensed agencies to continue offering supposed lucrative job postings to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and urging them to pay excessive amounts of money. He described this practice as criminal and unconscionable. The closure of R. T. M. Maritime Consultancy Services Corp. comes after email complaints were sent to the DMW by individuals using the aliases “Ernesto” and “Dindo” earlier this year.

This incident highlights the ongoing issue of fraudulent recruitment agencies targeting vulnerable migrant workers. It is crucial for regulatory bodies like the DMW to take swift action in identifying and shutting down these illegal operations to protect OFWs from exploitation. The case of R. T. M. Maritime Consultancy Services Corp. serves as a reminder for job seekers to be vigilant and verify the legitimacy of recruitment agencies before engaging with them.

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