i did have a helper whom 3 months just before her contracts ended her husband passed away she decided to go back as she had kids to attend to. after sometime she changed her mind and i cancelled her earlier to bring another maid so when i tried to do it myself and she knew all procedures there she had even to undergo many tests there which was knew according to her still at the end we were told no way a foreigner can bring a filipina thru direct hiring and this was told by POEA.this so far as i know so ask carefully because agency maid us pay everything but they did very little since we prepared most of the papers