MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has successfully shut down an illegal recruitment training center in Manila, marking its first major crackdown of 2026. The operation, led by DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, targeted a facility that was unauthorized to recruit Filipino workers for overseas employment.
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On January 19, operatives from the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), alongside Secretary Cacdac, Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia, and Assistant Secretary Jerome A. Alcantara, raided the Buenas Hotel Services Co. (Buenas). The establishment was operating out of Room 8 on the second floor of the Midland Plaza Hotel on Adriatico Street in Ermita.
The center, managed by Eduardo and Emma S. Orog, was found to be operating without the necessary licenses from the DMW or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Investigations revealed that the center collected significant fees from aspiring Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Applicants were charged P4,500 for training fees and P2,000 for processing fees.
Exploitation Scheme Revealed
Once applicants paid the initial fees, Buenas would refer them to ALJU Manpower Services. This agency would then demand exorbitant placement fees ranging from P80,000 to P250,000. In exchange, workers were promised jobs in various locations including the Maldives, Taiwan, the Middle East, Palau, and several European countries. Notably, ALJU Manpower Services had already been placed under preventive suspension by the DMW since November 3, 2025.
The closure stemmed from complaints filed by three victims who approached the DMW-MWPB regarding the illegal activities of both Buenas and ALJU. Following two surveillance operations confirming the lack of valid certification, the DMW executed the closure order with assistance from the Manila Police District.
Protecting Aspiring Migrant Workers
This shutdown follows a record year for the DMW, which closed 32 illegal recruitment establishments in 2025. The department continues to strictly enforce the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to protect Filipino migrant workers from traffickers and illegal recruiters who prey on their dreams of working abroad.
The DMW urges other potential victims of this scheme to come forward. They can seek legal assistance by contacting the DMW Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons Program via their Facebook page, emailing mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, or calling the hotline at +632 8721-0619.