MALOLOS, BULACAN — A travel agency known as High Dreamer Travel and Tours Services was shut down by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday for engaging in illegal recruitment practices, following a tip-off from the Filipino community in Poland.
According to Philippines News Agency, the agency was found acting as a sub-agent by referring workers to a legitimate agency, a practice that is prohibited under local laws. The operation was conducted by a combined team from the DMW's Licensing and Adjudication Services, the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), and the Malolos police. "We'll gather more evidence so we can charge them," Olalia stated following the padlocking of the agency located in Barangay Catmon. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac added that the Migrant Workers Office in Prague, overseeing issues in Poland, received reports of the agency’s illegal operations, which prompted an investigation.
The probe revealed that High Dreamer was advertising overseas job opportunities on Facebook for roles in production, agriculture, restaurants, construction, and cleaning in various European countries, particularly Croatia. The jobs promised monthly salaries ranging from PHP70,000 to PHP80,000. The agency allegedly charged each applicant a PHP100,000 processing fee and a PHP300,000 placement fee, both of which were non-refundable and could be paid in three installments. Cacdac emphasized that High Dreamer has no valid license to offer employment overseas and is not a registered recruitment agency.
The agency, along with its officers and staff, will face charges of illegal recruitment, be included in DMW's list of persons and establishments with derogatory records, and be banned from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program. The DMW has encouraged anyone who fell victim to High Dreamer's schemes to come forward and contact the MWPB through their Facebook page or by email to assist in the filing of cases. Cacdac concluded by thanking the Filipino community in Poland for their crucial role in identifying and reporting the fraudulent activities of High Dreamer.