Manila: A reward system has been put in place by authorities in a bid to curb illegal recruitment, an official said on Wednesday.

Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said: “Illegal recruitment has to stop and its perpetrators jailed. Whoever provides any information that would lead to arrest of illegal recruiters will be given a P50,000 reward.”

Bello said the programme is an initiative of private recruitment agencies. The credibility of the manpower sector has been put on the line by the activities of unscrupulous recruiters who promise well paying employment to jobseekers — including those who want to work abroad — only for the latter to end up in trouble with the law or in jobs that put them in a difficult situation.

The Labour Secretary said that once they receive information about suspected illegal recruitment activities, the department would still have to undergo a process of validation by concerned offices of the Labour Department.

“We also have to take precaution because we do not want to end up responding to a false alarm,” he said.

There have been numerous incidents in the past concerning illegal recruitment. In 2008, the then administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo established the Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (TFAIR) to respond to those concerns. However, the private-government sector initiative under the current administration is the first time monetary rewards have been offered for information that would lead to arrest of illegal recruiters.

According to the US State Deparment’s Human Trafficking Report, the Philippines is a major source and destination of trafficked persons.

Bello said that one of the best ways to combat illegal recruitment is to report their activities.

“So if ever you find yourself or you know someone that has been a victim, encourage them to report the matter to Department of Labour,” he added.

There are an estimated 10 million Filipino migrant workers employed in various parts of the world. These provide a sizeable contribution the national economy through the remittances that they send to their families.