What is Illegal Recruitment?
Any act of canvassing, enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring or procuring workers and includes referring, contract services, promising or advertising for employment abroad, whether for profit or not, when undertaken by a non-license or non-holder of authority contemplated under Art 13 (F) of Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines.
It shall likewise include the following acts, whether committed by any persons, whether a non-licensee, non-holder, licensee or holder of authority.
(a) To charge or accept directly or indirectly any amount greater than the specified in the schedule of allowable fees prescribed by the Secretary of Labor and Employment, or to make a worker pay any amount greater than that actually received by him as a loan or advance.
Modus Operandi of Illegal Recruiters
Direct Hiring – Workers are hired by foreign employers without the intervention of licensed recruitment agencies and are deployed undocumented and without protection.
Tips to job applicants using the internet in job search:
Report to the POEA or other law enforcement authorities any illegal recruitment activities conducted through the internet.
What is the penalty for illegal recruitment in the Philippines?
Illegal recruitment in the Philippines is a serious offense. It refers to any act of canvassing, enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring, or procuring workers for employment abroad without the proper license or authority. Here are the key points regarding the penalty for illegal recruitment:
Penalty: Any person found guilty of illegal recruitment shall face the following penalties:
Imprisonment: Not less than twelve (12) years and one (1) day but not more than twenty (20) years.
Fine: Not less than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) nor more than Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00)

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