The overseas recruitment industry Tuesday said it welcomed a thorough review of the recruitment sector, including the participation of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in the overseas employment program (OEP).

President Aquino earlier directed new Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to conduct an extensive review of the Philippine recruitment agencies (PRAs) and the local recruitment industry to determine if they are helping in generating jobs and protecting the rights of Filipino working overseas.

Baldos said the President particularly wants a review of “deployment to high and medium risk areas as well as the so-called high-risk occupations, including domestic helpers.’’

She said Aquino is very much concerned about the number of abused Filipinos in foreign lands.

“We support his call. It is high time for the government to review the policies and objectives of the overseas employment program, which has been around for the past 40 years,’’ said Jackson Gan, vice-president for marketing of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FEDMANEX).

“The PRAs have been the major contributor to the success of the millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). They have processed and deployed at least 95 percent of OFWs in the last four decades,’’ he said.

Gan said the call for a review of industry is also timely with the recent move of the POEA to allegedly remove the provision of the probationary period of employment contracts agreed by agencies with foreign employers.

He reiterated that the entire industry had contested the implementation of POEA's "midnight policy'' since it would not only hurt the sector but also the OFWs and the economy.

Earlier, leaders of the recruitment sector submitted separate letters to the POEA to reverse its alleged midnight rule, stressing that it exposes agencies to violations of the new Migrant Workers Act 10022.

The industry claimed that the POEA did not consult host governments of OFWs and all stakeholders concerned.

The POEA has remained mum on the issue.

Meanwhile, Gan also expressed support to the move of new Tourism secretary Alberto Lim to open the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) to foreign carriers and budget flights.

Gan, president of Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (PILMAT) and a member of the Freedom to Fly Coalition, said the implementation of the “Open Skies Policy” has “eased up the burden of OFWs who have to go to Manila to catch flights to the Middle East, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore.’’