LAOAG CITY, Nov 25 (PNA) – A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the provincial government and its local government units (LGUs) for the conduct of advocacy against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

Lawyer Jesus Gabriel Domingo, POEA deputy administrator on licensing and adjudication, said the MOU aims to establish an information campaign against illegal recruitment, recruitment violators and human trafficking.

"By information dissemination, we can save a lot of lives. It is the LGU's mandate to protect its constituents, while our office has the mandate to protect job applicants and at the same time OFWs from abuse," he said.

Domingo signed for the POEA along with Governor Imee Marcos in a simple ceremony held at the session hall of the provincial capitol in Laoag City.

Other signatories of the MOU were representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and heads of LGUs in the province.

Meanwhile, Gov. Marcos said that illegal recruitment is actually not the primary concern in the province.

"We are proud to say that here in the province, there have been little incident of illegal recruitment," she said.

She in turn cited schemes relevant to the existing problems in Ilocos Norte like inviting "good employers" to the province who can bring Ilocanos overseas.

"We need a more market-driven training approach," she said, citing that there are more job openings which require skilled manual workers like "welders and aluminum fitters" than white-collar professionals.

"This is the real challenge that we face – change the minds not only of the students but also of their parents that in fact vocational and skills are in demand," she added.

The governor raised the issue of the high number of Ilocanos working abroad, saying that "61 percent of all families in the province are receiving foreign aid."

According to Marcos, many overseas Ilocanos have already returned and the challenge lies on how to convert this people "who are employees all their lives" to entrepreneurship.

In the overseas recruitment issues, she stressed, "It's no longer just information dissemination but closer ties and cooperation with prosecution and justice." (PNA)

Source:  Philippine News Agency, Nov. 28, 2013, Online