Posted at 09/22/2011 2:54 PM | Updated as of 09/23/2011 4:27 PM
BIRMINGHAM, England - A surge in the number of students arriving in
Birmingham has alarmed Filipino community groups in the city.
Students started to arrive in the first quarter of 2011, some in groups of 10 to 15 students. All of them came to the UK to seek the proverbial green pasture.
They came with student visas but most, if not all, came here with the intention to work as allowed by the UK law, and also to study. After all, they have been working as registered nurses in the Philippines for many years.
They were lured to work and study in the UK. Now, they feel trapped by the agreements they have signed, and are starting to realize that the consultancy agency that processed their visas took advantage of their naiveté and desperation to find work abroad.
“Ang ganda ng pangako. Sabi po 3 days may trabaho na. Yun po ang pinangako sa amin na taliwas sa experience namin ngayon. We are expecting a lot na hanggang ngayon wala pa rin po (kaming trabaho),” said John, not his real name.
John approached ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, along with the other students, to warn Filipinos to be wary of these so-called consultancy agencies in Manila. He declined to be identified for fear of being harassed by the consultancy agency.
Consultancy agency in question
Kirsten Student Development Incorporated facilitated the student visas of the Filipino students for a 3-year Level 3 National Certificate Care and Management course in the UK under Quality Care Solutions Ltd or Wave Training Ltd.
The students paid a total of $7,000, excluding the air fare to the UK and other miscellaneous fees. To be granted a student visa in the UK, they also had to secure at least P700,000 or £9,150 in the bank as show money. Before they could leave the Philippines, some of them were already buried in debt, spending up to a million pesos.
The longer they stayed with Kirsten to process their documents, the more they spent. In retrospect, it was a strategy by the consultancy company to milk money from the desperate students. From 3 to 4 months of processing documents, some of them waited up to 2 years before they boarded the plane bound for the UK.
“Kasi once na nakapag-apply ka na, mahirap ng mag withdraw ng pera na binigay mo. Katulad nung nag- apply ako, sinabi nila na 3-4 months makakaalis kami. In that period bayad na kami dapat. Kung mag-withdraw ka, 70 percent lang ang makukuha mo. So parang sa aming mga aplikante, dahil nag- invest ka na ng time, ayaw mo ng mag back-out kasi manghihinayang sa 30 percent,’ said ‘John.’
It was also their understanding that the $7,000 they paid Kirsten included a portion of payment for their tuition fee in the UK college. But when they reported to Wave Training Ltd., they were shocked to find out that nothing has been paid by Kirsten.
In the contract secured by ABS-CBN Europe between one of the students and Kirsten, it stipulates "the UK enrollment and administration fees of $4,000 have to be paid." This amount is part of the total amount of $7,000.
Tuition fee is not stipulated in any part of the contract. But according to John, it was only verbally explained to them that tuition fee is under "the enrolment and admin fees" portion.
He also provided another copy of the contract agreement where the amount was reduced to $ 3,000, but that was only on paper since they had still paid the agreed amount of $7,000. He said the revised contract was given to him prior to his departure from Manila.
Promises divorced from reality
Although it was explained to them that they need at least £600 per month to survive the student life in the UK, nothing prepared the students for the conditions that awaited them in Birmingham. Unable to work for months and with classes to attend, the pocket money they thought would be enough for them to get by, disappeared quickly.
With intense pressure from living in a new environment and decrepit accommodations, one of the students had a mental breakdown and was sent back to the Philippines.
“Dun sa previous batch, may nagkaroon ng nervous breakdown. Kasi di talaga kakayananin dun sa pinadala nila sa amin na pocket money na amounting to £1,000. It’s not enough to sustain us for almost 2 months na wala kaming trabaho,” said Cathy, not her real name. ABS-CBN Europe is also withholding the real name of Cathy to protect her from any form of harassment.
“Marami silang di tinupad. Una di nila na mention na pagdating sa amin dito may agency na may magha-handle dito. Kumbaga wala na kaming ini-expect na third party,” added Cathy.
The third party is another company that secures work for the students. Cathy said this company placed their classmates in other cities where travelling to and from their classes would be physically inconceivable.
ABS-CBN Europe, through its news arm in the Philippines, tried to get Kirsten to comment on the issues raised by the students but to no avail.
Filcom Groups in Birmingham lend a hand
The students are worried they will not be able to pay their tuition fees if they do not start to work immediately. For 36 months, they need to pay £300 a month to Wave Training Ltd. On top of the tuition fee, they also have to worry about living expenses, which average £600 a month.
With the help of the Filipino priest in Corpus Christy Catholic Church, Fr. Edgar Dizon, the students are getting guidance emotionally. Dizon asked the Filipino community in his Parish to help the students. The Filcom groups in Birmingham are mostly composed of nurses working for the NHS and other private hospitals.
“Tayong mga Pilipino, mataas tayong mangarap. Gusto nating maayos ang bukas ng pamilya natin sa Pilipinas kaya gumagawa tayo ng paraan para pumunta sa ibang bansa at magtrabaho. Ang mga taong nagpo-proseso ng mga papers, sinasasamantala nila ang mga kabataang ito, sinisingil nila ng napakalaki, kung ano anong pangako na wala namang katotohanan pagdating nila sa UK,” explained Dizon.
He also called on the government to look into this problem.
“Sana yung mga mambabatas sa Pilipinas tingnan ang bagay na ito, ang gobyerno para ma resolve kung ano ang problema. Kung kailangang itigil na ang ganitong kalakaran sa Pilipinas, itigil na. Aksyon ang kailangan natin kaysa patuloy na nalololoko ang mga kababayan natin,” said Dizon.
The crux of the problem
Consultancy agencies in the Philippines prey on people who are anxious to leave Philippines for better job prospects abroad. Back home, the applicants are unaware of the real situation in the UK. So when consultancy firms present these job opportunities in the UK, they are taken as gospel truth.
Consultancy firms make money from the business of processing student documents but it has recently reached a point of greed where they charge enormous fees, as in the case of Kirsten.
There is no regulatory body in the Philippines to oversee these consultancy agencies. There is also no law that protects the students when confronted with this kind of problem.
“Hinihiling ko po na sana magkaroon ng batas at mapag-aralan kung ano ang patakaran at grounds para pwedeng mabigyan ng lunas ang ‘sindikato’ na ito na gumagawa ng bagay ng magpapaalis pero napakaraming panloloko,” said John.
For the students, the UK college as well as the consultancy firms in the Philippines, are both guilty of duping them.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/22/11/pinoy-students-uk-warn-vs-ph-consultancy-firms
Students started to arrive in the first quarter of 2011, some in groups of 10 to 15 students. All of them came to the UK to seek the proverbial green pasture.
They came with student visas but most, if not all, came here with the intention to work as allowed by the UK law, and also to study. After all, they have been working as registered nurses in the Philippines for many years.
They were lured to work and study in the UK. Now, they feel trapped by the agreements they have signed, and are starting to realize that the consultancy agency that processed their visas took advantage of their naiveté and desperation to find work abroad.
“Ang ganda ng pangako. Sabi po 3 days may trabaho na. Yun po ang pinangako sa amin na taliwas sa experience namin ngayon. We are expecting a lot na hanggang ngayon wala pa rin po (kaming trabaho),” said John, not his real name.
John approached ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, along with the other students, to warn Filipinos to be wary of these so-called consultancy agencies in Manila. He declined to be identified for fear of being harassed by the consultancy agency.
Consultancy agency in question
Kirsten Student Development Incorporated facilitated the student visas of the Filipino students for a 3-year Level 3 National Certificate Care and Management course in the UK under Quality Care Solutions Ltd or Wave Training Ltd.
The students paid a total of $7,000, excluding the air fare to the UK and other miscellaneous fees. To be granted a student visa in the UK, they also had to secure at least P700,000 or £9,150 in the bank as show money. Before they could leave the Philippines, some of them were already buried in debt, spending up to a million pesos.
The longer they stayed with Kirsten to process their documents, the more they spent. In retrospect, it was a strategy by the consultancy company to milk money from the desperate students. From 3 to 4 months of processing documents, some of them waited up to 2 years before they boarded the plane bound for the UK.
“Kasi once na nakapag-apply ka na, mahirap ng mag withdraw ng pera na binigay mo. Katulad nung nag- apply ako, sinabi nila na 3-4 months makakaalis kami. In that period bayad na kami dapat. Kung mag-withdraw ka, 70 percent lang ang makukuha mo. So parang sa aming mga aplikante, dahil nag- invest ka na ng time, ayaw mo ng mag back-out kasi manghihinayang sa 30 percent,’ said ‘John.’
It was also their understanding that the $7,000 they paid Kirsten included a portion of payment for their tuition fee in the UK college. But when they reported to Wave Training Ltd., they were shocked to find out that nothing has been paid by Kirsten.
In the contract secured by ABS-CBN Europe between one of the students and Kirsten, it stipulates "the UK enrollment and administration fees of $4,000 have to be paid." This amount is part of the total amount of $7,000.
Tuition fee is not stipulated in any part of the contract. But according to John, it was only verbally explained to them that tuition fee is under "the enrolment and admin fees" portion.
He also provided another copy of the contract agreement where the amount was reduced to $ 3,000, but that was only on paper since they had still paid the agreed amount of $7,000. He said the revised contract was given to him prior to his departure from Manila.
Promises divorced from reality
Although it was explained to them that they need at least £600 per month to survive the student life in the UK, nothing prepared the students for the conditions that awaited them in Birmingham. Unable to work for months and with classes to attend, the pocket money they thought would be enough for them to get by, disappeared quickly.
With intense pressure from living in a new environment and decrepit accommodations, one of the students had a mental breakdown and was sent back to the Philippines.
“Dun sa previous batch, may nagkaroon ng nervous breakdown. Kasi di talaga kakayananin dun sa pinadala nila sa amin na pocket money na amounting to £1,000. It’s not enough to sustain us for almost 2 months na wala kaming trabaho,” said Cathy, not her real name. ABS-CBN Europe is also withholding the real name of Cathy to protect her from any form of harassment.
“Marami silang di tinupad. Una di nila na mention na pagdating sa amin dito may agency na may magha-handle dito. Kumbaga wala na kaming ini-expect na third party,” added Cathy.
The third party is another company that secures work for the students. Cathy said this company placed their classmates in other cities where travelling to and from their classes would be physically inconceivable.
ABS-CBN Europe, through its news arm in the Philippines, tried to get Kirsten to comment on the issues raised by the students but to no avail.
Filcom Groups in Birmingham lend a hand
The students are worried they will not be able to pay their tuition fees if they do not start to work immediately. For 36 months, they need to pay £300 a month to Wave Training Ltd. On top of the tuition fee, they also have to worry about living expenses, which average £600 a month.
With the help of the Filipino priest in Corpus Christy Catholic Church, Fr. Edgar Dizon, the students are getting guidance emotionally. Dizon asked the Filipino community in his Parish to help the students. The Filcom groups in Birmingham are mostly composed of nurses working for the NHS and other private hospitals.
“Tayong mga Pilipino, mataas tayong mangarap. Gusto nating maayos ang bukas ng pamilya natin sa Pilipinas kaya gumagawa tayo ng paraan para pumunta sa ibang bansa at magtrabaho. Ang mga taong nagpo-proseso ng mga papers, sinasasamantala nila ang mga kabataang ito, sinisingil nila ng napakalaki, kung ano anong pangako na wala namang katotohanan pagdating nila sa UK,” explained Dizon.
He also called on the government to look into this problem.
“Sana yung mga mambabatas sa Pilipinas tingnan ang bagay na ito, ang gobyerno para ma resolve kung ano ang problema. Kung kailangang itigil na ang ganitong kalakaran sa Pilipinas, itigil na. Aksyon ang kailangan natin kaysa patuloy na nalololoko ang mga kababayan natin,” said Dizon.
The crux of the problem
Consultancy agencies in the Philippines prey on people who are anxious to leave Philippines for better job prospects abroad. Back home, the applicants are unaware of the real situation in the UK. So when consultancy firms present these job opportunities in the UK, they are taken as gospel truth.
Consultancy firms make money from the business of processing student documents but it has recently reached a point of greed where they charge enormous fees, as in the case of Kirsten.
There is no regulatory body in the Philippines to oversee these consultancy agencies. There is also no law that protects the students when confronted with this kind of problem.
“Hinihiling ko po na sana magkaroon ng batas at mapag-aralan kung ano ang patakaran at grounds para pwedeng mabigyan ng lunas ang ‘sindikato’ na ito na gumagawa ng bagay ng magpapaalis pero napakaraming panloloko,” said John.
For the students, the UK college as well as the consultancy firms in the Philippines, are both guilty of duping them.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/22/11/pinoy-students-uk-warn-vs-ph-consultancy-firms
No comments:
Post a Comment