00:00 You feel sorry for the people you are victimizing because you don't know what they are going through.
00:06 You don't know where they get the money they are paying you.
00:10 You just let them go.
00:14 This is the appeal of Reynaldo Falculan to illegal recruiters who continue to scam thousands of unsuspecting Filipinos
00:21 whose only dream is a better life for their families.
00:25 Reynaldo, who lives in Nueva Ecija, recalls he first saw an ad on Facebook about an enticing job offer in Poland.
00:33 He says he had to borrow over 200,000 pesos for the processing of his papers.
00:38 It was too late when he discovered the documents issued to him were all fake
00:43 and the agency that recruited him didn't have a valid license.
00:48 Reynaldo's work visa was denied.
00:50 The Department of Migrant Workers says it's going after agencies that victimize people like Reynaldo.
00:56 This year, four agencies have been shut down, with more than 100 cases filed against unscrupulous recruiters.
01:03 But overseas workers group Migrante says the government must do more.
01:08 If you are the victim, how will they get the right remedy?
01:16 The government must systematically study how to deal with illegal recruiters.
01:23 Their operations are very systematic and very underground.
01:27 The first action fund in the law is a 1.2 billion fund for 2023.
01:32 It will be increased to up to at least 1.7 billion in 2024.
01:37 This is what Arman mentioned earlier, legal assistance.
01:40 The convictions on the illegal recruitment side must increase. On average, we get 8 to 10 convictions per year.
01:47 That has to be increased also in partnership with the DOJ and the Bureau of Immigration.
01:52 For many OFWs, they want more than just protection after being deployed.
01:57 They want to feel valued, as their remittances contribute to the country's economy.
02:03 These accounted for almost 9% of our gross domestic product in 2022.
02:08 Saiza Cruz-Bacani used to work as a domestic helper with her mother in Hong Kong.
02:13 Now a multi-awarded photographer and author, she laments how OFWs, for some, seem invisible like air.
02:21 Very much needed in a society to survive, but mostly we don't see it.
02:27 So my book is not just about our sacrifices, it's about championing OFWs, seeing us as champions.
02:34 Our overseas workers' sacrifices and triumphs are not just for themselves and their families, but for the entire nation.
02:41 And what better way to honor them, our so-called modern-day heroes,
02:45 than to ensure that their rights and well-being are protected here and abroad.
02:51 Ruth Cabal, CNN Philippines.
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