Quezon City, January 23, 2024 — In a major crackdown on illicit overseas recruitment activities, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has ordered the closure of LEGAL CONNECT TRAVEL CONSULTANCY’s Manila office. This marks the second such closure in 2024, emphasizing the government’s commitment to safeguarding overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and prospective job seekers.
Headed by DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac, the enforcement action took place on Tuesday morning, January 23, 2024, at Unit 705, DHC Real Estate Lessor Building, No. 1115 EDSA, Barangay Veterans in Quezon City.
Cacdac unequivocally stated, “LEGAL CONNECT TRAVEL CONSULTANCY, also known as LEGAL CONNECT TRAVEL SERVICES, is engaging in illegal activities – from illegal recruitment to the illegal collection of fees. All their activities are unlawful.”
The DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) initiated the closure following three complaints from applicants who faced delays and neglect after LEGAL CONNECT collected exorbitant placement fees. Two complaints were filed by OFWs based in Dubai, while the third was from an applicant in Manila.
Operating without a valid DMW license, LEGAL CONNECT deceived applicants with promises of jobs in Italy and Malta, ranging from agricultural positions to hotel crew services. Monthly salaries were advertised between P60,000 to P100,000, but the company imposed “processing” fees ranging from P250,000 to P380,000. Initial “placement” fees of P80,000 to P100,000 were collected, with deceptive processing times that left applicants waiting for 6 to 8 months without any job offers.
LEGAL CONNECT’s officers and personnel now face severe charges of illegal recruitment by a syndicate, punishable by life imprisonment and fines ranging from P2,000,000 to P5,000,000. Furthermore, they are set to be blacklisted from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program.
OIC Cacdac has directed the DMW’s Migrant Workers Office in Dubai (MWO-Dubai) to collaborate with law enforcement officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a thorough investigation into LEGAL CONNECT’s illegal activities.
The DMW encourages other victims to come forward and report their cases to the MWPB via their Facebook page or email at https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip and mwpb@dmw.gov.ph.
Victims based in the UAE are urged to contact the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Hotline of the Philippine Embassy at +971563535558 to report their cases against LEGAL CONNECT.
This latest closure follows the shutdown of GIS German Document Facilitation Services (GIS German) in Malate, Manila, on January 5, 2024, for similar illegal recruitment activities.