WASHINGTON D.C. – The FilAm community here voiced outrage and disbelief over reports that  more than 300 Filipino teachers in Louisiana were brought to the U.S. under exploitative conditions.

A USA Today report says about 300 Filipino teachers, who were recruited since 2007 by PARS International Placement Agency and Universal Placement International, have fallen victim to overcharges and hidden job placement fees, causing the teachers to be heavily in debt.   The two recruitment companies are headed by Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro and her brother Emilio Villarba, both Filipino nationals.

Each  teacher was reportedly made to pay more than $15,000, an amount so exorbitant they would have a hard time getting out of their indebtedness. Before the teachers even boarded the plane bound for the U.S., they were told to pony up a 20 percent down payment on their expected salary of about $40,000 a year, according to the report.

“This is outrageous, to learn that our own Filipino recruiters are maltreating our own teachers and not providing them the kind of respect and dignity they deserve,” NaFFAA (National Federation of Filipino American Associations) Communications Director Jon Melegrito told ‘Philippine News.’ “This is a major cause of concern to us.”

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its state affiliate the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor alleging a scheme to bring Filipino teachers to the U.S. for “virtual servitude.”

USA Today identified Ingrid Cruz as one of the teachers who spoke openly about extortion and  intimidation

 “Cruz is one of more than 300 teachers imported to Louisiana from the Philippines since 2007, a group of educators who say collectively they paid millions of dollars in cash to a Filipino recruiting firm PARS International Agency and its sister company Los Angeles based-Universal Placement International Inc,” says the report.

The teachers unions are seeking a return of the fees to the Filipino teachers, and for the state to invalidate their contract.

Labor Attaché Alberto Adonis Duero said the Philippine Embassy is assisting the teachers with their grievances.

“We are doing our best to be of help and assistance to the teachers,” Duero told ‘Philippine News.’

“What we are trying to do is intervene with these kinds of cases. We have coordinated with the schools also. What we can only do is assist these teachers and communicate with the concerned agencies.” 

The recruitment companies reportedly collected fees from the teachers, helped them get their H-1B visas, then held  on to them while forcing the teachers to pay thousands more in fees, commissions and bloated rent. The AFT complaints called the procedure “virtual servitude.”

“It is AFT’s position that Universal’s acts constitute document servitude and violate federal criminal statutes as well,” according to the reported complaint. 

Melegrito said, “First of all these teachers came here, left their families, they traveled thousands of miles to do service to the children here in the United States, and instead of giving them support, instead of encouraging them and providing them all kinds of assistance in order for them to succeed and be effective in their profession (the recruiters) are undermining them.  We hope there will be some legal remedies that would put an end to this kind of maltreatment.” 

The law prohibits charging the H-1B visa carrier to pay for most of the fees. It is however the employer who is supposed to foot the bill. If they do charge fees, employers aren’t allowed to collect until the first paycheck.

To be able to meet the terms, the teachers said they borrowed from families and friends, mortgaged their homes, and took out loans at usurious rates.  

“Here is an opportunity for you to grow and pursue your dreams, get a better profession and a better opportunity for your kids,” Cruz told USA Today.

The teachers allege that  Universal threatened “to take them back to the airport for a return flight to the Philippines” if the teachers questioned the contract terms.

The teachers now work in the school systems of Avoyelles, Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson and Lafourche parishes.

Cruz who teaches robotics at Scotlandville Middle Pre Engineering Academy said she hopes that the maltreatment will stop. “Somebody has to speak up and tell the story because we can’t keep on,” she said.