SINGAPORE: Two Filipino domestic workers who earned between S$100 and S$400 per month by helping other maids obtain loans from a moneylender have been fined and will be banned from working in Singapore again, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Friday (Sep 27).
Jenalyn Masirag Gannaban, 39, and Obillo Arlenes Manale, 50, were sentenced on Thursday and fined S$8,000 and S$5,000, respectively, said MOM in a news release.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe two will also have their work permits revoked, and will be barred from entering or working in Singapore.
[h=3]READ: Borrowing, brokering, lending: Inside the tangled web of maids and moneylenders[/h][h=3]READ: Police arrest 2 women suspected of unlicensed moneylending[/h]MOM's investigations revealed that Jenalyn and Obillo had helped their fellow helpers obtain loans by scheduling appointments with VM Credit at Waterloo Street on their behalf.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe pair would receive between S$10 and S$30 from the helpers for each approved loan.
In this way, Jenalyn earned about S$100 to S$150 a month between June 2017 and November 2018, while Obillo earned about S$300 to S$400 a month during the same period.
[h=3]READ: Maids could turn to loansharks if employers' consent needed to borrow money from licensed moneylenders - MOM[/h][h=3]READ: Loans for low-income foreigners, maids, capped at S$500 under new licensed moneylending rules[/h]"An FDW (foreign domestic worker) is deemed to be working without a valid work pass if she holds a second job," said MOM. "This includes engaging in any other work or activity for the purposes of gain or otherwise."
Those convicted may be been fined up to S$20,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both. They will also have their work permits revoked, sent home and barred from working in Singapore.
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