DFA warns Filipinos vs fake online nursing job offers in UK


Filipino jobseekers were warned on Tuesday against falling for dubious online job offers promising employment as nurses in the United Kingdom (UK).
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a report on the offers from the Philippine Nurses Association-UK prompted the warning from the Philippine Embassy in London.
“The new illegal recruitment scheme involves online job offers sent by email to prospective victims, mainly nurses, who have previously submitted their resumes in public job search websites,” the DFA said in an article posted on its website.
The DFA said the modus operandi involves the supposed employer and/or his solicitor (lawyer) sending the victim successive emails.
The emails contain a job offer, a Contract of Agreement with a very attractive package of wages and benefits, a Certificate of Employment, and a blank Certificate of Good Moral Character.
Once the victim submits the required documents, he or she will then be sent detailed payment procedures of processing fees via wire transfer.
The supposed solicitor-lawyer usually identifies himself or herself as a member of a prominent legal firm or as an employee of the high court.
“In some cases, the employer sends photographs of his family in the UK via email in an attempt to assure the applicant that the process is legitimate,” the DFA said.
However, once the applicant pays the fees, the so-called employer and solicitor cut all contact.
The DFA noted this modus operandi is similar to other online scams earlier reported by the Embassy involving job offers for nannies, au pair, hotel staff, store managers, salespersons and engineers.
It advised the public to always verify job offers to the UK with the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).
They may likewise send a request for job offer verification to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at polo.london@yahoo.co.uk or embassy@philemb.co.uk, the DFA added. - via GMANews.TV

DOH to probe fees collected from nurses


By Mayen Jaymalin
The Department of Health (DOH) will look into reports that Filipino nurses are paying hospitals to allow them to gain experience in order to work abroad.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the department has not received any formal complaint from nurses, but would nonetheless investigate the reports and impose appropriate sanctions on hospitals abusing the free labor of nurses.
“We been receiving such reports, but until this time we have not recorded any formal complaint. So we are calling on the nurses who were forced to pay the hospitals for volunteer work to report such cases to us so we can investigate,” Ona said.
He said complainants need not disclose their identity. They should just submit a complaint letter to the department or provide information through the DOH website.
Many licensed but unemployed nurses are forced to work as volunteers in tertiary hospitals to gain work experience.
Ona noted that the trend resulted from an oversupply of nurses in the country and low overseas demand because of the prevailing economic slump.
“(But) the hospitals should not take advantage of the surplus and let abuses be committed against our nurses. If indeed there are abuses we will impose sanction,” he said.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said, however, that hospitals accepting volunteer nurses are not committing a violation.
“If the hospitals really do not need additional staff and would just allow volunteers who would want to gain experience, it is really not a violation. What we should look into is if the training in the hospitals is really adequate to comply with the requirement of foreign hospitals,” she said.
Militant group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called on hospitals to stop charging nurses seeking on-the-job-training.
The group said trainee nurses should be treated as probationary employees who are guaranteed minimum wage and other benefits, with the opportunity to become regular nurses after a six-month temporary status. - via philstar.com

Nihonggo course for nurses mulled





By Samuel Medenilla 


The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is considering adding a Japanese language course in the pre-departure orientation of medical workers bound for Japan.
During a media conference, POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili said the proposal came from the Japanese government and will be discussed during the review of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) next year.
“One of the topics, which will be discussed in the review, is the request from the Japanese government to include pre-departure language training in the Philippines,” Manalili said.
She said Japan made the proposal after Filipino nurses and caregivers received a low passing rate in their licensure exam due to their difficulty in understanding the Nihonggo language or the character-based writing system used in the test.
Manalili said the POEA presented a counter-proposal requesting Japanese representatives in the review to consider conducting some parts of the six-month mandatory language training for medical practitioners in Japan here in the Philippines at their own cost to minimize the time of separation of the applicants with their families.
JPEPA is an elaborate bilateral economic investment cooperation pact signed by the Philippines with Japan in 2008.
Among the provisions included in the trade agreement is the reduction or elimination of tariffs to some exported products to the Philippines and a job order for nurses and caregivers. - via www.mb.com.ph

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