THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) shut down the Hikari Japanese Learning Center Corp. for illegally recruiting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for jobs in Japan.
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac ordered the closure of the language and culture center for violating recruitment laws.
“The closure of this learning center is a product of our intensified campaign to combat illegal recruitment as among the directives of the President. We reiterate this warning to our kababayans, especially those who aspire to work abroad— please, do not deal with recruiting entities that do not have license or authorization from the DMW to recruit and deploy workers for overseas jobs,” he said.
He explained that the shutdown aimed to protect OFWs from being exploited by illegal recruiters taking advantage of Filipinos looking for work abroad.
The DMW, through its Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), in coordination with the Local Government Unit (LGU) and police officers, executed the closure at Hikari’s head office in Panabo City, Davao Del Norte, as well as its four branches located in Manila, Rosario (Cavite), Davao City, and General Santos City.
The center lacked the necessary license and authority from the DMW and had been offering jobs under the Technical Internship Training Program (TITP) and later transitioned to the Specified Skilled Worker Program (SSWP), with job placements in hotel and restaurant services, food processing, caregiving, farming, and food and beverage manufacturing.
Surveillance conducted by the MWPB revealed that Hikari encouraged applicants to enroll in their four-month language training program, charging a fee of P33,710, which could be paid in installments. Upon completing the program, successful candidates who passed the JFT/JLPT N4 and PROMETRIC Specified Skilled Worker Tests were referred for screening by the center's partner agencies for deployment.
Following the center's closure, Hikari’s management will face illegal recruitment charges, and its officers will be added to the DMW’s "List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Records," which bars them from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program.
“The closure of Hikari, which stemmed from DMW’s active monitoring on social media platforms, is the first simultaneous closure operation of the MWPB this year to crack down on illegal recruiters preying on OFWs and applicants who wish to work abroad,” DMW wrote in their Facebook post on February 6, 2025.
The DMW urged victims of Hikari’s illegal recruitment to contact the MWPB for legal assistance. They can reach out through the DMW’s Facebook page, email mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, or call the hotline at +63 2 8721-0619 to file complaints or seek support. RGP
