Insight · dmw
How Many DMW Agencies Lost Their License in 2026
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Quick answer
We counted how many DMW agencies lost their license in 2026, using the status dates on the DMW list. As of 5 October 2026, 48 recruitment agencies carry a non-valid status dated in 2026. That count covers DMW agencies with a cancelled license in 2026 (8), an expired license (30), a suspension of some kind (9) and closed operations (1). In the same period, 276 agencies received a valid-license status date. We counted 3,791 agencies on the list in total, and 1,166 of them show a valid license.
What did we count on the DMW list?
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) publishes one list of recruitment agencies. Each entry has a license status, a status date and a license expiry date. We keep a copy of this list for our agency search.
On 5 October 2026 we counted the entries in that copy in two ways:
- By status. Each agency is counted once, under the status shown that day.
- By status date. The status date is the date DMW attaches to an agency's current status. We counted how many agencies in each status have a status date in 2026, and how many non-valid statuses fall in each month since October 2025.
We show the status labels exactly as DMW publishes them. We did not find a legend on the DMW list that defines each label, so we do not add our own meanings. We also do not name any agency in this post.
How many agencies are on the DMW list, by status?
The list had 3,791 agencies on 5 October 2026. Here is how they split by published status.
| Status as published | Agencies | With a status date in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Delisted | 1,164 | 0 |
| Valid License | 1,105 | 250 |
| Cancelled | 919 | 8 |
| Forever Banned | 167 | 0 |
| Expired | 151 | 30 |
| Inactive | 86 | 0 |
| Suspended | 61 | 3 |
| Valid License (Provisional) | 42 | 15 |
| Denied Renewal | 25 | 0 |
| Valid License (Full) | 18 | 11 |
| Suspended (Document Processing) | 16 | 5 |
| Revoked | 12 | 0 |
| Ceased Operations | 10 | 1 |
| Ceased Operation | 7 | 0 |
| Cash Bond Withdrawn | 3 | 0 |
| Documentary Processing Suspended | 2 | 0 |
| Preventive Suspension | 1 | 1 |
| VALID LICENSE (EXTENDED) | 1 | 0 |
| Suspended or Fined | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 3,791 | 324 |
Two notes on the labels. The DMW list writes the Provisional and Full labels after "Valid License" with a hyphen. We put them in brackets here. "Ceased Operations" and "Ceased Operation" appear as two separate labels on the list, so we kept them apart.
Four labels say the license is valid: Valid License, the Provisional and Full labels, and VALID LICENSE (EXTENDED). Together they cover 1,166 agencies. The other 2,625 agencies carry a status that is not a valid license.
Why does the list show more non-valid agencies than valid ones?
The DMW list keeps old records. An agency that closed, was delisted or lost its license stays on the list with its last status. So most of the big numbers are history, not news.
Look at the status dates. None of the 1,164 Delisted agencies has a status date in 2026. Of the 919 Cancelled agencies, only 8 do. The same goes for Forever Banned (167, none in 2026), Inactive (86, none) and Revoked (12, none). These records come from earlier years.
This is why our guide to checking an agency says that finding a name on the list is not enough. You have to read the status and the expiry date.
How many agencies got a non-valid status each month since October 2025?
The table below counts agencies whose current status is not valid, by the month of their status date.
| Month | Expired | Cancelled | Suspended (all suspension labels) | Ceased Operations | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2026 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| February 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| March 2026 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| April 2026 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| June 2026 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| July 2026 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| August 2026 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| September 2026 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| October 2026 (1 to 5) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 total | 30 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 48 |
The suspension column adds three published labels: Suspended (3 in 2026), Suspended (Document Processing) (5) and Preventive Suspension (1).
Expired is the most common non-valid status this year, with 30 of the 48. June 2026 had the most changes, with 10. On the other side, 276 agencies have a valid-license status date in 2026. The list does not say whether each of these is a new license or a renewal, so we do not split them.
How do you use this before you pay an agency?
The numbers above describe the whole list. What matters to you is the status of one agency on the day you deal with it.
- Search the agency. Use the DMW list of licensed recruitment agencies. You can also browse our copy from A to Z or by city.
- Read the status and the expiry date. Only an agency with a valid license and an expiry date that has not passed may recruit you.
- Check your job order. Look for the agency, country and position on the DMW list of approved job orders.
- Stop if the status is not valid. If the status is Suspended, Cancelled or any other label that is not a valid license, do not pay or sign anything. Keep your receipts, contract and messages.
- Ask DMW. Call the DMW-OWWA hotline 1348, or +632 1348 from abroad, or email the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph.
Our agency pages show the DMW status in a fixed sentence. We do not rate, rank or review agencies. If your papers are already in process, our OEC and OFW Pass guide explains the exit papers your agency handles. More OFW guides are on the OFW page.
What are the limits of these numbers?
- One day only. The counts show our copy of the DMW list on 5 October 2026. DMW updates its list, and names and statuses can change on any day.
- Current status only. The list shows each agency's latest status and its date. An agency that was suspended in 2026 and later got a valid status again counts as valid here. So the 48 is the number of agencies whose current status is non-valid and dated 2026, not every change made this year.
- As published. Names, statuses and dates are as DMW publishes them. We did not correct spellings or merge labels, apart from adding up the valid and suspension labels where the tables say so.
- Distinct agencies. Each agency appears once in each count.
Always check the agency on the DMW website before you pay or sign anything.
Frequently asked questions
How many DMW agencies were cancelled in 2026?
On the DMW list as of 5 October 2026, 8 agencies show the status Cancelled with a status date in 2026. In total, 48 agencies carry a non-valid status dated in 2026: 30 Expired, 8 Cancelled, 9 under one of the suspension statuses and 1 Ceased Operations. The list shows only each agency's current status.
Why are cancelled agencies still on the DMW list?
The DMW list keeps old records. Agencies that were delisted, cancelled, banned or closed stay on it with their status. That is why the list has 2,625 agencies with a non-valid status and 1,166 with a valid one. Finding a name on the list is not enough: read its status and expiry date.
What does the status date on the DMW list mean?
It is the date DMW attaches to the agency's current status. It does not show the agency's earlier statuses. If an agency was suspended and later got a valid status again, the list shows only the valid status and its newer date. Our 2026 counts use this date only.
What should I do if my agency is suspended or cancelled?
Do not pay or sign anything more. Keep your receipts, contract and chat messages. Call the DMW-OWWA hotline 1348, or +632 1348 from abroad, or email the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph. Ask DMW what the status means for your application.
Can an agency's status change after this count?
Yes. DMW updates its list, and a status can change on any day. Our numbers show the list as it was on 5 October 2026. Before you pay or sign, search the agency again on the DMW website and read the status and expiry date shown that day.
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