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25 Nov 2024

Philippines: Migrants scammed by fake job advertisements, incl. on Facebook, struggle to access Govt. remedy; incl. Meta response

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An article published by Rappler in November 2024, which is the second part of a series (read the first part here), describes difficulties Filipino workers experience accessing justice after being scammed by recruiters for fake jobs in South Korea.

The article describes a case where a Filipino worker was recruited via a Facebook post offering farmwork in South Korea. The agent had several other agents working for them, one of whom claimed to be working for the local government unit. The article highlights that illegal recruiters have allegedly been using the local government unit name to advertise fake job opportunities.

The agent charged the Filipino workers high recruitment fees for jobs that never materialised.

The group then brought their complaint to the Department of Migrant Workers, which has a fund for victims of recruitment scams. The agent was arrested, but the group had to wait longer to know whether they were qualified for government remedy. After the publication of the Rappler article, the Government fast-tracked to group’s case.

Both the first and second part of the Rappler series name One Consulting, who did not respond to Rappler's request for comment.

In November, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited Meta to respond to the article. Meta’s response can be read in full below.