n e w s

The Philippine Overseas Employment Agency was set to implement Memorandum Circular No. 4 last January 15, which would put foreign employers under a rigid screening process before hiring Filipino workers.

But the implementation of the rule was short-lived after different Filipino migrant groups from all over the globe criticized the guidelines, particularly the imposition of a repatriation bond of $5,000 and performance bond equivalent to three months salary or $3,000.

Migrant groups feared that instead of safeguarding the rights of the worker, the MC-04 would add another financial burden to the Filipino migrant, who is expected to shoulder the cost anyway. It was also seen as the government’s abandonment on protecting Filipino workers overseas.

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