In the first five months of 2026, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has shut down 12 companies accused of illegal recruitment activities, according to a statement released on Friday. The DMW reported that these entities were involved in illegally recruiting and deploying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Latest Closure in Pasig City
The most recent closure occurred late Thursday when the DMW padlocked State 101 Travel Visa Consultancy in Pasig City. The firm was accused of illegal recruitment related to deploying Filipino caregivers to the United States. The DMW stated that State 101 Travel Visa Consultancy is neither licensed nor authorized to recruit or deploy Filipino workers overseas and has no approved job orders for the US.
Modus Operandi
The company allegedly referred applicants to US employers for caregiver positions using tourist visas, promising monthly salaries of US$1,800 (approximately P109,800). Applicants, who were to be deployed as trainees, were required to pay up to P150,000 for documentation and processing fees.
During the closure operation, DMW officers intercepted two former OFW applicants who were about to submit documents for promised caregiving jobs in the US. Initial investigation revealed that these two applicants, along with two other complainants, had already paid substantial placement and processing fees to the consultancy firm.
