A review center was shuttered by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) after it was found that the establishment was involved in illegal recruitment, according to a Thursday press release.

Two DMW offices located in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Cagayan Valley reported the review center, prompting an investigation and its eventual closure.

Applicants to the Antoine International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Review Center would offer applicants work in Poland under two programs: the seasonal worker program and the skilled worker program.

According to operatives’ accounts, applicants who undergo the seasonal worker program would be offered a nine-month contract in exchange for a processing fee of €3,500 or around ₱250,000.

Meanwhile, those who choose the skilled worker program would be offered a three-year contract with a higher processing fee at €5,000 or ₱350,000. The illegal recruitment scheme promised them a salary of €30 per hour, which translates in local peso currency to ₱2,000 per hour, depending on the shift length.

Aside from Poland, Antoine would also offer jobs for skilled workers in Canada, including work as farmers, fruit pickers, and warehouse factory workers.

However, the IELTS review center does not possess a license issued by the DMW, authorizing them to conduct recruitment activities.

Additionally, the establishment is registered to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) under the name George Masangcay Maglaque Jr., leading the DMW to request the cancellation of the review center’s DTI registration.

The agency has recommended that the review center, Maglaque, and other individuals involved in the scheme be added to the List of Persons and Entities with Derogatory Record.

The Migrant Workers Bureau appealed to victims of Antoine to coordinate with them through their Facebook pages or email: dmw.tuguegarao@dmw.gov.ph