Philippine officials in Rome warned overseas Filipino workers in Italy on Wednesday against bogus email offers for jobs in L'Aquila in Italy.
The Philippine Embassy in Rome said that the bogus email uses the address projecto_laquila@rome.com and the office address "Via Sicilia 162/C."
"There is no Committee for the Reconstruction of L'Aquila at the Ministry's official address in Via Sicilia 162/C cited in the email, and the Italian Ministry of Development Public Works and Housing does not correspond to any Italian office," the Embassy said in a news release posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) website.
L'Aquila, a mountainous city in Central Italy, had been hit by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in April 2009, killing over 260 residents, injuring over 1,000 and leaving 28,000 homeless.
No such project
Citing information reaching it, the Embassy said that the supposed project proponent in the email claimed to be the "Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing Reconstruction of Earthquake Affected Cities Program."
It was allegedly under the Auspices of World Rehabilitation Program (WRP) and Italian Freedom Corps (IFC).
Among the jobs being offered were truck drivers, machinery operators, plumbers, carpenters, electrically engineers/electricians, metal workers, nurses/dispensers/clinic staff, helpers, brick layers, technical experts, data entry clerk, first aid attendant, quantity surveyor, mechanical engineers, cooks/chefs/stewards, interpreters, and legal advisers.
The DFA said the Philippine Embassy inquired with the Italian Department of Development and Economic Cohesion under Italy's Ministry of Economic Development, which stated that there is no such project.
"Also, there is no registered project involving an alleged Housing Reconstruction of Earthquake Affected Cities Program, either in L'Aquila or Rome, and there is no WRP or IFC accredited with the Ministry, nor operating or registered in Italy," it added.
It said the Ministry has since referred the case to the Italian Police for further investigation. — JMT/TJD
