The Rizal Park area that is near the National Library in Manila is a popular place for seafarers who are looking for work because this has become a one stop recruitment center for them. One of the reasons is the proximity of the place to manning agencies around the Kalaw area. Manning agencies have set up booths there and they conduct recruitment activities. The booths are managed by the Luneta Seafarers’ Welfare Foundation, Inc.

This recruitment set up though will no longer be seen there because the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) wishes to inform manning agencies and the public that recruitment of seafarers will no longer be allowed in Rizal Park. Administrative sanction awaits those who will disobey this law.

According to POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, all recruitment activities of manning agencies in the area are deemed illegal. The government agency issued the new law because of reports of unfair hiring practices in the area. Likewise the POEA has not issued any Special Recruitment Authority (SRA) to manning agencies conducting recruitment activities in the said areas since May 2009.  

The SRA is the permit given to recruitment agencies so they can conduct recruitment outside heir registered offices. The POEA also requires the manning agencies to submit sworn statements of their activities, and remove their posters and job advertisements in the area.