Manila: The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday shut down an alleged illegal recruitment agency in Binondo, Manila as part of its intensified campaign against labor trafficking and recruitment scams targeting Filipinos looking for overseas jobs.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DMW's Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), in coordination with the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group - Anti-Transnational Crime Unit (PNP CIDG-ATCU), and CIDG Anti-Organized Crime Unit (CIDG-AOCU), carried out the closure order against MAXILUM Recruitment Agency, which also operates under the name Cell Venus Elite Workforce Manpower and Recruitment Agency Inc. The MWPB stated that Maxilum was operating without a valid license.
MWPB Director Eric Dollete revealed that the agency was offering jobs in Japan, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia without approved job orders. These jobs, primarily factory and production positions, promised monthly salaries ranging from PHP90,000 to PHP100,000 under a three-year contract. Applicants were required to pay placement and processing fees ranging from PHP35,000 to PHP72,500 through online channels, yet none were deployed or properly processed for overseas employment.
The agency's owner, Celisti Maxilum, was arrested during an entrapment operation on March 25, 2026, along with her Russian fianc© and two armed bodyguards. This latest operation marks the eighth illegal recruitment establishment shut down by the DMW since January of this year.
MWPB Director Romelson Abbang urged aspiring Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to verify licensed agencies and approved job orders through the DMW's official website before applying for overseas employment. Additionally, he encouraged potential victims of illegal recruitment to seek assistance through the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau Facebook page, via email, or by calling the provided hotline for legal support in filing cases against illegal recruiters.
The DMW has been enhancing its efforts against illegal recruiters and human traffickers in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to strengthen protection mechanisms for OFWs.
