Manila, Philippines – Due to its involvement in charging exorbitant placement fees and failing to deploy applicants abroad, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has ordered the closure of the training center in Ermita Manila, Buenas Hotel Services Corporation.
Pursuant to DMW’s Closure Order No.1 Series of 2026, the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau has locked down the Buenas office for its alleged involvement in illegal recruitment.
According to DMW’s investigation, it emerged that the said training center was allegedly involved in collusion with Eduardo S. Orog and Emma S. Orgo Modus who promised jobs abroad to its applicants.
However, in exchange for this, the applicants were required to attend two days of training in housekeeping, bartending, and waitering but were required to pay P4,500 as training fee and P2,000 as assessment fee.
However, upon completion of the said training, the applicants were allegedly referred to Alju International Manpower Services Inc. to process their applications for hotel and restaurant staff jobs in the Maldives, Taiwan, the Middle East, Palau and several European countries.
The system requires applicants to pay a processing fee ranging from P80,000 to P250,000, something prohibited by the DMW.
November 2025, when the DMW suspended Alju’s license because it failed to deploy applicants abroad.
Alju also allegedly failed to refund the excessive placement fees they charged for applicants.
The owner and employees of Buenas who were involved in illegal recruitment are facing corresponding charges and the company will also be included in the DMW list of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Records.
This is the first illegal recruitment firm that the government has shut down this year.
Last year, the DMW had closed down 32 companies involved in illegal recruitment activities.—Alvin Pelobello, Eurotv News