For countless Filipinos, working abroad represents the ultimate dream—a chance to provide a better future for their families, escaping the economic hardships back home. Christian Ray Swalog, a professional accountant from Quezon province, shared this dream. Feeling that his salary in the Philippines couldn’t keep pace with the rising cost of living, he was willing to do whatever it took, even wash dishes, for a life in a country with better healthcare, education, and safety for his children.

His hope took shape when a friend recommended Promised Land Consultancy (PLC), an agency purportedly specializing in Canadian immigration. Trusting the referral, Christian eagerly pursued the opportunity.

PLC offered a package costing 25,000 Canadian dollars (roughly PHP 9 million), payable in installments. Desperate to secure his family’s future, Christian and his wife took out loans, using their only car as collateral, despite warnings from skeptical relatives about potential scams.

Their faith in PLC was bolstered by the agency’s seemingly legitimate Facebook page, filled with glowing video testimonials from Filipinos apparently thriving in Canada, proudly displaying job contracts allegedly secured by PLC. The agency’s website advertised help with student visas, work visas, and permanent residency. At the helm was the charismatic CEO, Joseph Miranda, presented as a successful Filipino-Canadian who understood their aspirations.

Joseph Miranda cultivated a lavish “rags-to-riches” persona online. His social media showcased trips abroad, luxury goods like Christian Dior bags, and business-class flights, all attributed to hard work and savvy business sense. He shared inspirational posts about overcoming humble beginnings and ignoring naysayers. This image resonated deeply with Filipinos dreaming of similar success.

However, behind the facade, a different reality was allegedly unfolding. Rosanna Solita, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant hired by PLC, quickly discovered irregularities. Driven by conscience, she decided to stay and gather evidence of what she believed was a large-scale scam targeting vulnerable Filipinos.

Rosanna uncovered PLC’s alleged modus operandi: exploiting a temporary Canadian policy enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy allowed visitors already in Canada on tourist visas to apply for work permits due to travel restrictions.

PLC allegedly twisted this, actively recruiting Filipinos, charging exorbitant fees, and sending them to Canada on tourist visas with the false promise of arranging jobs upon arrival—an illegal practice under Canadian immigration law.

From 2020 to early 2024, PLC successfully sent numerous Filipinos to Canada under this scheme. However, the Canadian government ended the temporary visitor-to-worker policy in August 2024 (earlier than its initial February 2025 end date).

Despite this crucial change, PLC allegedly continued recruiting, failing to inform clients like Christian Ray Swalog that the pathway they were sold no longer existed.

Christian, having paid nearly half a million pesos and deep in debt, found his calls and messages to PLC ignored when he sought updates or refunds. He never made it to Canada. But for those who did arrive, the nightmare intensified. “Michael” (not his real name), another PLC client, shared his story. Upon arriving in Canada, he discovered his promised “Client Relations Officer” job was a fiction.

Instead, PLC itself became his employer, tasking him with recruiting five new clients per month. His actual job was to lure more Filipinos into the same scheme. If he failed to meet the recruitment quota, he received a meager $8 per hour, far below Vancouver’s minimum wage. Worse, PLC allegedly deducted outstanding agency fees from these paltry earnings, leaving many recruits penniless and trapped.

Rosanna Solita explained that PLC operated like a pyramid scheme. Recruits who complained were allegedly threatened with non-payment or deportation. Michael confirmed this, stating many were forced to scam their own countrymen simply to survive and pay off their massive debts to PLC.

After resigning, Rosanna dedicated herself to exposing PLC. She downloaded internal documents, contacted victims, explained their precarious legal status, and guided them on how to file complaints.

Michael, Christian, and six others banded together, filing lawsuits and attempting to confront PLC, only to be blocked or ignored. More victims emerged, all telling the same story: arrival in Canada on a tourist visa, no legitimate job, and pressure to recruit others.

Lilian Tonogbanua shared how she paid PLC to help her nephew, only to face a year of excuses before being cut off completely. The sheer number of complaints brought PLC under scrutiny.

Facing legal pressure and mounting debt accusations, Joseph Miranda wrote to a judge in March 2024, claiming financial hardship due to declining clients and “harassment” from victims, requesting an extension to pay refunds. He cited his responsibilities supporting his elderly parents, siblings, and his wife (allegedly a co-director of PLC).

While victims won judgments in small claims court, these civil cases only mandated refunds, not imprisonment. The Employment Standards Branch fined PLC a mere CAD 20,000 (approx.) for operating without a license—a slap on the wrist compared to the millions allegedly scammed. Furthermore, Miranda was reportedly found to be evading taxes.

Disturbingly, PLC appears to have simply rebranded. Rosanna Solita warned that the company now operates as “Global Referral Solutions,” shifting its focus from Canada to job referrals in Europe and visa assistance for the US, UK, and Australia. They boasted of a new license from California and announced plans for branches in Rizal, Bangkok, Dubai, and the Middle East.

While the legitimacy of their current operations is unknown, the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers issued a public warning in March 2024, explicitly stating PLC was unlicensed and urging Filipinos to “be smart and avoid being deceived.”

The fight for justice for the hundreds, possibly thousands, of Filipinos allegedly victimized by Joseph Miranda and Promised Land Consultancy continues, a cautionary tale for those dreaming of opportunities abroad.