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Italic-ra 10022
bold 9422
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8042
Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995
An act to institute the policies of overseas employment and establish a higher standard of protection
and promotion of the welfare of migrant workers, their families and overseas Filipinos in distress, and
for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. - This act shall be known and cited as the "Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos
Act of 1995."

SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF POLICIES--

"(a) In the pursuit of an independent foreign policy and while considering national
sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest and the right to self-determination paramount in
its relations with other states, the State shall, at all times, uphold the dignity of its citizens
whether in country or overseas, in general, and Filipino migrant workers, in particular,
continuously monitor international conventions, adopt/be signatory to and ratify those that
guarantee protection to our migrant workers, and endeavor to enter into bilateral agreements with
countries hosting overseas Filipino workers."

(b) The State shall afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and
promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all. Towards this end, the
State shall provide adequate and timely social, economic and legal services to Filipino migrant workers.

(c) While recognizing the significant contribution of Filipino migrant workers to the national economy
through their foreign exchange remittances, the State does not promote overseas employment as a
means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development. The existence of the overseas
employment program rests solely on the assurance that the dignity and fundamental human rights and
freedoms of the Filipino citizens shall not, at any time, be compromised or violated. The State,
therefore, shall continuously create local employment opportunities and promote the equitable
distribution of wealth and the benefits of development.

(d) The State affirms the fundamental equality before the law of women and men and the
significant role of women in nation-building. Recognizing the contribution of overseas migrant women
workers and their particular vulnerabilities, the State shall apply gender sensitive criteria in the
formulation and implementation of policies and programs affecting migrant workers and the
composition of bodies tasked for the welfare of migrant workers.

"(e) Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance
shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty. In this regard, it is imperative that an
effective mechanism be instituted to ensure that the rights and interest of distressed overseas
Filipinos, in general, and Filipino migrant workers, in particular, whether regular/documented
or irregular/undocumented, are adequately protected and safeguarded."

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 (f) The right of Filipino migrant workers and all overseas Filipinos to participate in the
democratic decision-making processes of the State and to be represented in institutions relevant to
overseas employment is recognized and guaranteed.

"(g) The State recognizes that the most effective tool for empowerment is the possession
of skills by migrant workers. The government shall provide them free and accessible skills
development and enhancement programs. Pursuant to this and as soon as practicable, the
government shall deploy and/or allow the deployment only of skilled Filipino workers."

"(h) The State recognizes non-governmental organizations, trade unions, workers

associations, stakeholders and their similar entities duly recognized as legitimate, are partners
of the State in the protection of Filipino migrant workers and in the promotion of their welfare.
The State shall cooperate with them in a spirit of trust and mutual respect. The significant
contribution of recruitment and manning agencies shall from part this partnership."

(I) Government fees and other administrative costs of recruitment, introduction, placement
and assistance to migrant workers shall be rendered free without prejudice to the provision of Section
36 hereof.

Nonetheless, the deployment of Filipino overseas workers, whether land-based or sea-based by

local service contractors and manning agencies employing them shall be encouraged. Appropriate
incentives may be extended to them.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. - For purposes of this Act:

"(a) "Overseas Filipino worker" refers to a person who is to be engaged, is engaged or has been
engaged in a remunerated activity in a state of which he or she is not a citizen or on board a
vessel navigating the foreign seas other than a government ship used for miliatry or non-
commercial purposes or on an installation located offshore or on the high seas; to be used
interchangeably with migrant worker."

(b) "Gender-sensitivity" shall mean cognizance of the inequalities and inequities prevalent in society
between women and men and a commitment to address issues with concern for the respective interests
of the sexes.

(c) "Overseas Filipinos" refers to dependents of migrant workers and other Filipino nationals abroad
who are in distress as mentioned in Sections 24 and 26 of this Act.

I. DEPLOYMENT

"SEC. 4. Deployment of Migrant Workers. - The State shall allow the deployment of overseas
Filipino workers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected.
The government recognizes any of the following as a guarantee on the part of the receiving
country for the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers:

"(a) It has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers,
including migrant workers;

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 "(b) It is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations
or resolutions relating to the protection of workers, including migrant workers;
and

"(c) It has concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government

on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino Workers:

Provided, That the receiving country is taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of
migrant workers in furtherance of any of the guarantees under subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c)
hereof.

"In the absence of a clear showing that any of the aforementioned guarantees exists in the
country of destination of the migrant workers, no permit for deployment shall be issued by the
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

"The members of the POEA Governing Board who actually voted in favor of an order allowing
the deployment of migrant workers without any of the aforementioned guarantees shall suffer the
penalties of removal or dismissal from service with disqualification to hold any appointive public
office for five (5) years, Further, the government official or employee responsible for the
issuance of the permit or for allowing the deployment of migrant workers in violation of this
section and in direct contravention of an order by the POEA Governing Board prohibiting
deployment shall be meted the same penalties in this section.

"For this purpose, the Department of Foreign Affairs, through its foreign posts, shall issue a
certification to the POEA, specifying therein the pertinent provisions of the receiving country's
labor/social law, or the convention/declaration/resolution, or the bilateral
agreement/arrangement which protect the rights of migrant workers.

"The State shall also allow the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to vessels navigating the
foreign seas or to installations located offshore or on high seas whose owners/employers are
compliant with international laws and standards that protect the rights of migrant workers.

"The State shall likewise allow the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to companies and
contractors with international operations: Provided, That they are compliant with standards,
conditions and requirements, as embodied in the employment contracts prescribed by the POEA
and in accordance with internationally-accepted standards."

"SEC. 5. Termination or Ban on Deployment. - Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4

hereof, in pursuit of the national interest or when public welfare so requires, the POEA
Governing Board, after consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, may, at any time,
terminate or impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers."

II. ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT

"SEC. 6. Definition. - For purposes of this Act, illegal recruitment shall mean any act of
canvassing, enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring, or procuring workers and

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includes referring, contract services, promising or advertising for employment abroad, whether
for profit or not, when undertaken by non-licensee or non-holder of authority contemplated
under Article 13(f) of Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended, otherwise known as the Labor
Code of the Philippines: Provided, That any such non-licensee or non-holder who, in any
manner, offers or promises for a fee employment abroad to two or more persons shall be deemed
so engaged. It shall likewise include the following acts, whether committed by any person,
whether a non-licensee, non-holder, licensee or holder of authority:

"(a) To charge or accept directly or indirectly any amount greater than that
specified in the schedule of allowable fees prescribed by the Secretary of Labor
and Employment, or to make a worker pay or acknowledge any amount greater
than that actually received by him as a loan or advance;

"(b) To furnish or publish any false notice or information or document in relation

to recruitment or employment;

"(c) To give any false notice, testimony, information or document or commit any
act of misrepresentation for the purpose of securing a license or authority under
the Labor Code, or for the purpose of documenting hired workers with the POEA,
which include the act of reprocessing workers through a job order that pertains to
nonexistent work, work different from the actual overseas work, or work with a
different employer whether registered or not with the POEA;

"(d) To include or attempt to induce a worker already employed to quit his

employment in order to offer him another unless the transfer is designed to
liberate a worker from oppressive terms and conditions of employment;

"(e) To influence or attempt to influence any person or entity not to employ any
worker who has not applied for employment through his agency or who has
formed, joined or supported, or has contacted or is supported by any union or
workers' organization;

"(f) To engage in the recruitment or placement of workers in jobs harmful to

public health or morality or to the dignity of the Republic of the Philippines;

"(h) To fail to submit reports on the status of employment, placement vacancies,

remittance of foreign exchange earnings, separation from jobs, departures and
such other matters or information as may be required by the Secretary of Labor
and Employment;

"(i) To substitute or alter to the prejudice of the worker, employment contracts

approved and verified by the Department of Labor and Employment from the time
of actual signing thereof by the parties up to and including the period of the
expiration of the same without the approval of the Department of Labor and
Employment;

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 "(j) For an officer or agent of a recruitment or placement agency to become an
officer or member of the Board of any corporation engaged in travel agency or to
be engaged directly or indirectly in the management of travel agency;

"(k) To withhold or deny travel documents from applicant workers before

departure for monetary or financial considerations, or for any other reasons,
other than those authorized under the Labor Code and its implementing rules and
regulations;

"(l) Failure to actually deploy a contracted worker without valid reason as

determined by the Department of Labor and Employment;

"(m) Failure to reimburse expenses incurred by the worker in connection with his
documentation and processing for purposes of deployment, in cases where the
deployment does not actually take place without the worker's fault. Illegal
recruitment when committed by a syndicate or in large scale shall be considered
an offense involving economic sabotage; and

"(n) To allow a non-Filipino citizen to head or manage a licensed

recruitment/manning agency.

"Illegal recruitment is deemed committed by a syndicate if carried out by a group of three (3) or
more persons conspiring or confederating with one another. It is deemed committed in large
scale if committed against three (3) or more persons individually or as a group.

"In addition to the acts enumerated above, it shall also be unlawful for any person or entity to
commit the following prohibited acts:

"(1) Grant a loan to an overseas Filipino worker with interest exceeding eight
percent (8%) per annum, which will be used for payment of legal and allowable
placement fees and make the migrant worker issue, either personally or through a
guarantor or accommodation party, postdated checks in relation to the said loan;

"(2) Impose a compulsory and exclusive arrangement whereby an overseas

Filipino worker is required to avail of a loan only from specifically designated
institutions, entities or persons;

"(3) Refuse to condone or renegotiate a loan incurred by an overseas Filipino

worker after the latter's employment contract has been prematurely terminated
through no fault of his or her own;

"(4) Impose a compulsory and exclusive arrangement whereby an overseas

Filipino worker is required to undergo health examinations only from specifically
designated medical clinics, institutions, entities or persons, except in the case of a
seafarer whose medical examination cost is shouldered by the
principal/shipowner;

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 "(5) Impose a compulsory and exclusive arrangement whereby an overseas
Filipino worker is required to undergo training, seminar, instruction or schooling
of any kind only from specifically designated institutions, entities or persons,
except fpr recommendatory trainings mandated by principals/shipowners where
the latter shoulder the cost of such trainings;

"(6) For a suspended recruitment/manning agency to engage in any kind of

recruitment activity including the processing of pending workers' applications;
and

"(7) For a recruitment/manning agency or a foreign principal/employer to pass

on the overseas Filipino worker or deduct from his or her salary the payment of
the cost of insurance fees, premium or other insurance related charges, as
provided under the compulsory worker's insurance coverage.

"The persons criminally liable for the above offenses are the principals, accomplices and
accessories. In case of juridical persons, the officers having ownership, control, management or
direction of their business who are responsible for the commission of the offense and the
responsible employees/agents thereof shall be liable.

"In the filing of cases for illegal recruitment or any of the prohibited acts under this section, the
Secretary of Labor and Employment, the POEA Administrator or their duly authorized
representatives, or any aggrieved person may initiate the corresponding criminal action with the
appropriate office. For this purpose, the affidavits and testimonies of operatives or personnel
from the Department of Labor and Employment, POEA and other law enforcement agencies who
witnessed the acts constituting the offense shall be sufficient to prosecute the accused.

"In the prosecution of offenses punishable under this section, the public prosecutors of the
Department of Justice shall collaborate with the anti-illegal recruitment branch of the POEA
and, in certain cases, allow the POEA lawyers to take the lead in the prosecution. The POEA
lawyers who act as prosecutors in such cases shall be entitled to receive additional allowances
as may be determined by the POEA Administrator.

"The filing of an offense punishable under this Act shall be without prejudice to the filing of
cases punishable under other existing laws, rules or regulations."

"SEC. 7. Penalties. -

"(a) Any person found guilty of illegal recruitment shall suffer the penalty of
imprisonment of not less than twelve (12) years and one (1) day but not more than
twenty (20) years and a fine of not less than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00)
nor more than Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00).

"(b) The penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of not less than Two million pesos
(P2,000,000.00) nor more than Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) shall be
imposed if illegal recruitment constitutes economic sabotage as defined therein.

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 "Provided, however, That the maximum penalty shall be imposed if the person
illegally recruited is less than eighteen (18) years of age or committed by a non-
licensee or non-holder of authority.

"(c) Any person found guilty of any of the prohibited acts shall suffer the penalty
of imprisonment of not less than six (6) years and one (1) day but not more than
twelve (12) years and a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos
(P500,000.00) nor more than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00).

"If the offender is an alien, he or she shall, in addition to the penalties herein prescribed, be
deported without further proceedings.

"In every case, conviction shall cause and carry the automatic revocation of the license or
registration of the recruitment/manning agency, lending institutions, training school or medical
clinic."

SEC. 8. PROHIBITION ON OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES. - Ot shall be unlawful for any official or employee
of the Department of Labor and Employment, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, or
the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, or the Department of Foreign Affairs, or other
government agencies involved in the implementation of this Act, or their relatives within the fourth
civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, to engage, directly or indirectly, in the business of recruiting
migrant workers as defined in this Act. The penalties shall be imposed upon them.

SEC. 9. VENUE. - A criminal action arising from illegal recruitment as defined herein shall be
filed with the Regional Trial Court of the province or city where the offense was committed or where
the offended party actually resides at the same time of the commission of the offense: Provided, That
the court where the criminal action is first filed shall acquire jurisdiction to the exclusion of other
courts. Provided, however, That the aforestated provisions shall also apply to those criminal actions
that have already been filed in court at the time of the effectivity of this Act.

"SEC. 10. Money Claims. - Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Labor
Arbiters of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) shall have the original and
exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide, within ninety (90) calendar days after the filing of the
complaint, the claims arising out of an employer-employee relationship or by virtue of any law
or contract involving Filipino workers for overseas deployment including claims for actual,
moral, exemplary and other forms of damage. Consistent with this mandate, the NLRC shall
endeavor to update and keep abreast with the developments in the global services industry.

"The liability of the principal/employer and the recruitment/placement agency for any and all
claims under this section shall be joint and several. This provision shall be incorporated in the
contract for overseas employment and shall be a condition precedent for its approval. The
performance bond to de filed by the recruitment/placement agency, as provided by law, shall be
answerable for all money claims or damages that may be awarded to the workers. If the
recruitment/placement agency is a juridical being, the corporate officers and directors and
partners as the case may be, shall themselves be jointly and solidarily liable with the corporation
or partnership for the aforesaid claims and damages.

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"Such liabilities shall continue during the entire period or duration of the employment contract
and shall not be affected by any substitution, amendment or modification made locally or in a
foreign country of the said contract.

"Any compromise/amicable settlement or voluntary agreement on money claims inclusive of

damages under this section shall be paid within thirty (30) days from approval of the settlement
by the appropriate authority.

"In case of termination of overseas employment without just, valid or authorized cause as
defined by law or contract, or any unauthorized deductions from the migrant worker's salary, the
worker shall be entitled to the full reimbursement if his placement fee and the deductions made
with interest at twelve percent (12%) per annum, plus his salaries for the unexpired portion of
his employment contract or for three (3) months for every year of the unexpired term, whichever
is less.

"In case of a final and executory judgement against a foreign employer/principal, it shall be
automatically disqualified, without further proceedings, from participating in the Philippine
Overseas Employment Program and from recruiting and hiring Filipino workers until and unless
it fully satisfies the judgement award.

"Noncompliance with the mandatory periods for resolutions of case provided under this section
shall subject the responsible officials to any or all of the following penalties:

"(a) The salary of any such official who fails to render his decision or resolution
within the prescribed period shall be, or caused to be, withheld until the said
official complies therewith;

"(b) Suspension for not more than ninety (90) days; or

"(c) Dismissal from the service with disqualification to hold any appointive public
office for five (5) years.

"Provided, however, That the penalties herein provided shall be without prejudice to any liability
which any such official may have incured under other existing laws or rules and regulations as a
consequence of violating the provisions of this paragraph."

SEC. 11. MANADATORY PERIODS FOR RESOLUTION OF ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT CASES. - The
preliminary investigations of cases under this Act shall be terminated within a period of thirty (30)
calendar days from the date of their filing. Where the preliminary investigation is conducted by a
prosecution officer and a prima facie case is established, the corresponding information shall be filed
in court within twenty-four (24) hours from the termination of the investigation. If the preliminary
investigation is conducted by a judge and a prima facie case is found to exist, prosecution officer
within forty-eight (48) hours from the date of receipt of the records of the case.

SEC. 12. PRESCRIPTIVE PERIODS. - Illegal recruitment cases under this Act shall prescribe in five
(5) years: Provided, however, That illegal recruitment cases involving economic sabotage as defined
herein shall prescribe in twenty (20) years.

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 "SEC. 13. Free Legal Assistance; Preferential Entitlement Under the Witness Protection
Program. - A mechanism for free legal assistance for victims of illegal recruitment shall be
established in the anti-illegal recruitment branch of the POEA including its regional offices.
Such mechanism shall include coordination and cooperation with the Department of Justice, the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and other non-governmental organizations and volunteer
groups."

III. SERVICES

SEC. 14. TRAVEL ADVISORY/INFORMATION DISSEMINATION. - To give utmost priority to the

establishment of programs and services to prevent illegal recruitment, fraud, and exploitation or abuse
of Filipino migrant workers, all embassies and consular offices, through the Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration (POEA), shall issue travel advisories or disseminate information on labor
and employment conditions, migration realities and other facts; and adherence of particular countries
to international standards on human and workers' rights which will adequately prepare individuals into
making informed and intelligent decisions about overseas employment. Such advisory or information
shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation at least three (3) times in every quarter.

SEC. 15. REPATRIATION OF WORKERS; EMERGENCY REPATRIATION FUND. - The repatriation of

the worker and the transport of his personal belongings shall be the primary responsibility of the
agency which recruited or deployed the worker overseas. All costs attendant to repatriation shall be
borne by or charged to the agency concerned and/or its principal. Likewise, the repatriation of remains
and transport of the personal belongings of a deceased worker and all costs attendant thereto shall be
borne by the principal and/or local agency. However, in cases where the termination of employment is
due solely to the fault of the worker, the principal/employer or agency shall not in any manner be
responsible for the repatriation of the former and/or his belongings.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), in coordination ith appropriate

international agencies, shall undertake the repatriation of workers in cases of war, epidemic, disasters
or calamities, natural or man-made, and other similar events without prejudice to reimbursement by
the responsible principal or agency. However, in cases where the principal or recruitment agency
cannot be identified, all costs attendant to repatriation shall be borne by the OWWA.

For this purposes, there is hereby created and established an emergency repatriation fund
under the administration control and supervision of the OWWA, initially to consist of one hundred
million pesos (P100,000,000.00), inclusive of outstanding balances.

"SEC. 16. Mandatory Repatriation of Underage Migrant Workers. - Upon discovery or

being informed of the presence of migrant workers whose ages fall below the minimum age
requirement for overseas deployment, the responsible officers in the foreign service shall without
delay repatriate said workers and advise the Department of Foreign Affairs through the fastest
means of communication available of such discovery and other relevant information. The license
of a recruitment/manning agency which recruited or deployed an underage migrant worker shall
be automatically revoked and shall be imposed a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand
pesos (Php 500,000.00) but not more than One million pesos (Php 1,000,000.00). All fees
pertinent to the processing of papers or documents in the recruitment or deployment shall be
refunded in full by the responsible recruitment/manning agency, without need of notice, to the
underage migrant worker or to his parents or guardian. The refund shall be independent of and
in addition to the indemnification for the damages sustained by the underage migrant worker.

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The refund shall be paid within thirty (30) days from the date of the mandatory repatriation as
provided for in this Act."

"SEC. 17. Establishment of National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino

Workers. -A national reintegration center for overseas Filipino workers (NRCO) is hereby
created in the Department of Labor and Employment for returning Filipino migrant workers
which shall provide a mechanism for their reintegration into the Philippine society, serve as a
promotion house for their local employment, and tap their skills and potentials for national
development.

"The Department of Labor and Employment, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
(OWWA), and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) shall, within ninety
(90) days from the effectivity of this Act, formulate a program that would motivate migrant
workers to plan for productive options such as entry into highly technical jobs or undertakings,
livelihood and entrepreneurial development, better wage employment, and investment of savings.

"For this purpose, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the
Technology Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC), and other government agencies involved in
training and livelihood development shall give priority to returnees who had been employed as
domestic helpers and entertainers."

"SEC. 18. Functions of the National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers.
-The Center shall provide the following services:

"(a) Develop and support programs and projects for livelihood, entrepreneurship,
savings, investments and financial literacy for returning Filipino migrant workers
and their families in coordination with relevant stakeholders, service providers
and international organizations;

"(b) Coordinate with appropriate stakeholders, service providers and relevant

international organizations for the promotion, development and the full utilization
of overseas Filipino worker returnees and their potentials;

"(c) Institute, in cooperation with other government agencies concerned, a

computer-based information system on returning Filipino migrant workers shall
be accessible to all local recruitment agencies and employers, both public and
private;

"(d) Proved a periodic study and assessment of job opportunities for returning
Filipino migrant workers;

"(e) Develop and implement other appropriate programs to promote the welfare
of returning Filipino migrant workers;

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 "(f) Maintain an internet-based communication system for on-line registration
and interaction with clients, and maintain and upgrade computer-based service
capabilities of the NRCO;

"(g) Develop capacity-building programs for returning overseas Filipino workers

and their families, implementers, service providers, and stakeholders; and

"(h) Conduct research for policy recommendations and program development."

SEC. 19. ESTABLISHMENT OF A MIGRANT WORKERS AND OTHER OVERSEAS FILIPINOS RESOURCE
CENTER. - Within the premises and under the administrative jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in
countries where there are large concentrations of Filipino migrant workers, there shall be establish a
Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center with the following services:

(a) Counseling and legal services;

(b) Welfare assistance including the procurement of medical and hospitalization services;

(c) Information, advisory and programs to promote social integration such as post-arrival
orientation, settlement and community networking services for social integration;

(d) Institute a scheme of registration of undocumented workers to bring them within the
purview of this Act. For this purpose, the Center is enjoined to compel existing undocumented workers
to register with it within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act, under pain of having his/her
passport cancelled;

(e) Human resource development, such as training and skills upgrading;

(f) Gender sensitive programs and activities to assist particular needs of women migrant
workers;

(g) Orientation program for returning workers and other migrants; and

(h) Monitoring of daily situations, circumstances and activities affecting migrant workers and
other overseas Filipinos.

"The establishment and operations of the Center shall be a joint undertaking of the
various government agencies. The Center shall be open for twenty-four (24) hours daily
including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and shall be staffed by Foreign Service personnel,
service attaches or officers who represent other Philippine government agencies abroad and, if
available, individual volunteers and bona fide non-government organizations from the host
countries. In countries categorized as highly problematic by the Department of Foreign Affairs
and the Department of Labor and Employment and where there is a concentration of Filipino
migrant workers, the government must provide a Sharia or human rights lawyer, a psychologist
and a social worker for the Center. In addition to these personnel, the government must also hire
within the receiving country, in such number as may be needed by the post, public relation
officers or case officers who are conversant, orally and in writing, with the local language, laws,
customs and practices. The Labor Attache shall coordinate the operation of the Center and shall
keep the Chief of Mission informed and updated on all matters affecting it."

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 The Center shall have a counterpart 24-hour information and assistance center at the
Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure a continuous network and coordinative mechanism at the home
office.

"SEC. 20. Establishment of a Shared Government Information System for Migration. - An

interagency committee composed of the Department of Foreign Affairs and its attached agency,
the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, the Department of Labor and Employment and its
attached concerned agencies, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Justice the Bureau
of Immigration, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of the Interior and Local
Government, the National Telecommunications Commission, the Commission on Information
and Communications Technology, the National Computer Center, the National Statistical and
Coordination Board, the National Statistics Office and other government agencies concerned
with overseas employment shall be established to implement a shared government information
system for migration. The interagency committee shall initially make available to itself the
information contained in existing data bases/files. The second phase shall involve linkaging of
computer facilities on order to allow free-flow data exchanges and sharing among concerned
agencies.

"The inter-agency committee shall be co-chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the
Department of Labor and Employment. The National Computer Center shall provide the
necessary technical assistance and shall set the appropriate information and communications
technology standards to facilitate the sharing of information among the member agencies.

"The inter-agency committee shall meet regularly to ensure the immediate and full
implementation of this section and shall explore the possibility setting up a central storage
facility for the data on migration. The progress of the implementation of this section shall be
include in the report to Congress of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of
Labor and Employment under Section 33.

"The inter-agency committee shall convene to identify existing data bases which shall be
declassified and shared among member agencies. These shared data bases shall initially include,
but not be limited to, the following information:

"(a) Masterlists of Filipino migrant workers/overseas Filipino classified

according to occupation/job category, civil status, by country/state of destination
including visa classification;

"(b) Inventory of pending legal cases involving Filipino migrant workers and
other Filipino nationals, including those serving prison terms;

"(c) Masterlists of departing/arriving Filipinos;

"(d) Statistical profile on Filipino migrant workers/overseas Filipinos/tourists;

"(e) Blacklisted foreigners/undesirable aliens;

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 "(f) Basic data on legal systems, immigration policies, marriage laws and civil
and criminal codes in receiving countries particularly those with large numbers
of Filipinos;

"(g) List of Labor and other human rights instruments where receiving countries
are signatories;

"(h) A tracking system of past and present gender disaggregated cases involving
male and female migrant workers, including minors; and

"(i) Listing of overseas posts which may render assistance to overseas Filipinos,
in general, and migrant workers, in particular."

SEC. 21. MIGRANT WORKERS LOAN GUARANTEE FUND. - In order to further prevent
unscrupulous illegal recruiters from taking advantage of workers seeking employment abroad, the
OWWA, in coordination with government financial institutions, shall institute financing schemes that
will expand the grant of pre-departure loan and family assistance loan. For this purpose, a Migrant
Workers Loan Guarantee Fund is hereby created and the revolving amount of one hundred million pesos
(P100,000,000.00) from the OWWA is set aside as a guarantee fund in favor of participating government
financial institutions.

SEC. 22. RIGHTS AND ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM UNDER INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS SYSTEMS. - The Department of Foreign Affairs is mandated to undertake the necessary initiative
such as promotions, acceptance or adherence of countries receiving Filipino workers to multilateral
convention, declaration or resolutions pertaining to the protection of migrant workers' rights. The
Department of Foreign Affairs is also mandated to make an assessment of rights and avenues of redress
under international and regional human rights systems that are available to Filipino migrant workers
who are victims of abuse and violation and, as far as practicable and through the Legal Assistant for
Migrant Workers Affairs created under this Act, pursue the same on behalf of the victim if it is legally
impossible to file individual complaints. If a complaints machinery is available under international or
regional systems, the Department of Foreign Affairs shall fully apprise the Filipino migrant workers of
the existence and effectiveness of such legal options.

IV. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

SEC. 23. ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. - The following government agencies shall perform
the following to promote the welfare and protect the rights of migrant workers and, as far as
applicable, all overseas Filipinos:

(a) Department of Foreign Affairs. - The Department, through its home office or foreign posts,
shall take priority action its home office or foreign posts, shall take priority action or make
representation with the foreign authority concerned to protect the rights of migrant workers and other
overseas Filipinos and extend immediate assistance including the repatriation of distressed or
beleaguered migrant workers and other overseas Filipinos;

(b) Department of Labor and Employment - The Department of Labor and Employment shall see
to it that labor and social welfare laws in the foreign countries are fairly applied to migrant workers
and whenever applicable, to other overseas Filipinos including the grant of legal assistance and the
referral to proper medical centers or hospitals:

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 "(b.1) Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. - The Administration shall
regulate private sector participation in the recruitment and overseas placement of workers
by setting up a licensing and registration system. It shall also formulate and implement, in
coordination with appropriate entities concerned, when necessary, a system for promoting
and monitoring the overseas employment of Filipino workers taking into consideration
their welfare and the domestic manpower requirements. It shall be responsible for the
regulation and management of overseas employment from the pre-employment stage,
securing the best possible employment terms and conditions for overseas Filipino workers,
and taking into consideration the needs of vulnerable sectors and the peculiarities of sea-
based and land-based workers. In appropriate cases, the Administration shall allow the
lifting of suspension of erring recruitment/manning agencies upon the payment of fine of
Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) for every month of suspension.

"in addition to its powers and functions, the Administration shall inform migrant workers
not only of their rights as workers but also of their rights as human beings, instruct and
guide the workers how to assert their rights and provide the available mechanism to
redress violation of their rights. It shall also be responsible for the implementation, in
partnership with other law-enforcement agencies, of an intensified program against illegal
recruitment activities. For this purpose, the POEA shall provide comprehensive Pre-
Employment Orientation Seminars (PEOS) that will discuss topics such as prevention of
illegal recruitment and gender-sensitivity.

"The Administration shall not engage in the recruitment and placement of overseas
workers except on a government-to-government arrangement only.

"In the recruitment and placement of workers to service the requirements for trained and
competent Filipino workers of foreign governments and their instrumentalitys, and such
other employers as public interests may require, the Administration shall deploy only to
countries where the Philippine has conclude bilateral labor agreements or arrangements:
Provided, That such countries shall guarantee to protect the rights of Filipino migrant
workers; and Provided, further, That such countries shall observe and/or comply with the
international laws and standards for migrant workers."

"(b.2) Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. - The Welfare officer of in his absence,
the coordinating officer shall provide the Filipino migrant worker and his family all the
assistance they may need in the enforcement of contractual obligations by agencies or entities
and/or by their principals. In the performance of this function, he shall make representation and
may call on the agencies or entities concerned to conferences or conciliation meetings for the
purpose of settling the compliance or problems brought to his attention. The OWWA shall
likewise formulate and implement welfare programs for overseas Filipino workers and their
families while they are abroad and upon their return. It shall ensure the awareness by the
overseas Filipino workers and their families of these programs and other related governmental
programs.

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"In the repatriation of workers to be undertaken by OWWA, the latter shall be authorized to pay
repatriation-related expenses, such as fines or penalties, subject to such guidelines as the
OWWA Board of Trustees may prescribe."

"(c) Department of Health. - The Department of Health (DOH) shall regulate the activities and
operations of all clinics which conduct medical, physical, optical, dental, psychological and
other similar examinations, hereinafter referred to as health examinations, on Filipino migrant
workers as requirement for their overseas employment. Pursuant to this, the DOH shall ensure
that:

" (c.1) The fees for the health examinations are regulated, regularly monitored
and duly published to ensure that the said fees are reasonable and not exorbitant;

" (c.2) The Filipino migrant worker shall only be required to undergo health
examinations when there is reasonable certainty that he or she will be hired and
deployed to the jobsite and only those health examinations which are absolutely
necessary for the type of job applied for or those specifically required by the
foreign employer shall be conducted;

" (c.3) No group or groups of medical clinics shall have a monopoly of exclusively
conducting health examinations on migrant workers for certain receiving
countries;

" (c.4) Every Filipino migrant worker shall have the freedom to choose any of the
DOH-accredited or DOH-operated clinics that will conduct his/her health
examinations and that his or her rights as a patient are respected. The decking
practice, which requires an overseas Filipino worker to go first to an office for
registration and then farmed out to a medical clinic located elsewhere, shall not
be allowed;

" (c.5) Within a period of three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act, all DOH
regional and/or provincial hospitals shall establish and operate clinics that can
be serve the health examination requirements of Filipino migrant workers to
provide them easy access to such clinics all over the country and lessen their
transportation and lodging expenses and

" (c.6) All DOH-accredited medical clinics, including the DOH-operated clinics,
conducting health examinations for Filipino migrant workers shall observe the
same standard operating procedures and shall comply with internationally-
accepted standards in their operations to conform with the requirements of
receiving countries or of foreign employers/principals.

"Any Foreign employer who does not honor the results of valid health examinations conducted
by a DOH-accredited or DOH-operated clinic shall be temporarily disqualified from the
participating in the overseas employment program, pursuant to POEA rules and regulations.

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"In case an overseas Filipino worker is found to be not medically fit upon his/her immediate
arrival in the country of destination, the medical clinic that conducted the health examination/s
of such overseas Filipino worker shall pay for his or her repatriation back to the Philippines and
the cost of deployment of such worker.

"Any government official or employee who violates any provision of this subsection shall be
removed or dismissed from service with disqualification to hold any appointive public office for
five(5) years. Such penalty is without prejudice to any other liability which he or she may have
incurred under existing laws, rules or regulations.

"(d) Local Government Units. - In the fight against illegal recruitment, the local government
units (LGUs), in partnership with the POEA, other concerned government agencies , and non-
government organizations advocating the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers, shall
take a proactive stance by being primarily responsible for the dissemination of information to
their constituents on all aspects of overseas employment. To carry out this task, the following
shall be undertaken by the LGUs:

"(d.1) Provide a venue for the POEA, other concerned government agencies and
non-government organizations to conduct PEOS to their constituents on a regular
basis;

"(d.2) Establish overseas Filipino worker help desk or kiosk in their localities
with the objective of providing current information to their constituents on all the
processes aspects of overseas employment. Such desk or kiosk shall, as be linked
to the database of all concerned government agencies, particularly the POEA for
its updated lists of overseas job orders and licensed recruitment agencies in good
standing."

V. THE LEGAL ASSISTANT FOR MIGRANT WORKERS AFFAIRS

SEC. 24. LEGAL ASSISTANT FOR MIGRANT WORKERS AFFAIRS. - There is hereby created the
position of Legal Assistant for Migrant Workers Affairs under the Department of Foreign Affairs who
shall be primarily responsible for the provision and overall coordination of all legal assistance services
to be provided to Filipino migrant workers as well as overseas Filipinos in distress. He shall have the
rank, salary and privileges equal to that of an undersecretary of said Department.

The said Legal Assistant for Migrant Workers Affairs shall be appointed by the President and
must be of proven competence in the field of law with at least ten (10) years of experience as a legal
practitioner and must not have been a candidate to an elective office in the last local or national
elections.

Among the functions and responsibilities of the aforesaid Legal Assistant are:

(a) To issue the guidelines, procedures and criteria for the provisions of legal assistance
services to Filipino migrant workers;

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 (b) To establish close linkages with the Department of Labor and Employment, the POEA, the
OWWA and other government agencies concerned, as well as with non-governmental organizations
assisting migrant workers, to ensure effective coordination and cooperation in the provision of legal
assistance to migrant workers;

"( c ) To tap the assistance of reputable law firms, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines,
other bar associations and other government legal experts on overseas Filipino worker laws to
complement the government's efforts to provide legal assistance to our migrant workers;"

(d) To administer the legal assistance fund for migrant workers established under Section 25
hereof and to authorize disbursements there from in accordance with the purposes for which the fund
was set up; and

(e) To keep and maintain the information system as provided in Section 20.

The legal Assistant for Migrant Workers Affairs shall have authority to hire private lawyers,
domestic or foreign, in order to assist him in the effective discharge of the above functions.

"SEC. 25. Legal Assistance Fund. - There is herby established a legal assistance fund for
migrant workers, hereinafter referred to as the Legal Assistance Fund, in the amount of one
hundred million pesos (P100,000,000.00) to be constituted from the following sources.

"Fifty million pesos (50,000,000.00) from the Contingency Fund of the President;

"Thirty million pesos (30,000,000.00) from the Contingency Fund of the President Social Fund;

"Twenty million pesos (20,000,000.00) from the Welfare Fund for Overseas Workers established
under Letter of Instructions No. 537 as amended by Presidential Decree Nos. 1694 and 1809;
and

"An amount appropriated in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) which shall not be
less than Thirty million pesos (30,000,000.00) per year: Provided, that the balance of the Legal
Assistance Fund (LAF) including the amount appropriated for the year shall not be less than
One hundred million pesos (P100,000,000.00) : Provided, further, That the fund shall be treated
as a special fund in the National Treasury and its balance, including the amount appropriated in
the GAA, which shall form part of the Fund, shall not revert to the General Fund.

" Any balances of existing funds which have been set aside by the government specifically as
legal assistance or defense fund to help migrant workers shall upon effectivity of this Act, be
turned over to, and form part of, the Fund created under this Act."

"SEC. 26. Uses of the Legal Assistance Fund. - The Legal Assistance Fund created under
the preceding section shall be used exclusively6 to provide legal services to migrant workers and
overseas Filipinos in distress in accordance with the guidelines, criteria and procedures
promulgated in accordance with Section 24 ( a ) herof. The expenditures to be charged against
the Fund shall include the fees for the foreign lawyers to be hired by the Legal Assistant for
Migrant Workers Affairs to represent migrant workers facing charges or in filing cases against
erring or abusive employers abroad, bail bonds to secure the temporary releases and other

17
litigation expenses: Provided, That at the end of every year, the Department of Foreign Affairs
shall include in its report to Congress, as provided for under Section 33 of this Act, the status of
the Legal Assistance Fund, including the expenditures from the said fund duly audited by the
Commission on Audit (COA): Provided, further, That the hiring of foreign legal counsels, when
circumstances warrant urgent action, shall be exempt from the coverage of Republic Act No.
9184 or the Government Procurement Act."

VI. COUNTRY - TEAM APPROACH

SEC. 27. PRIORITY CONCERNS OF PHILIPPINE FOREIGN SERVICE POSTS. - The country team
approach, as enunciated under Executive Order No. 74, series of 1993, shall be the mode under which
Philippine embassies or their personnel will operate in the protection of the Filipino migrant workers as
well as in the promotion of their welfare. The protection of the Filipino migrant workers and the
promotion of their welfare, in particular, and the protection of the dignity and fundamental rights and
freedoms of the Filipino citizen abroad, in general, shall be the highest priority concerns of the
Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Foreign Service Posts.

SEC. 28. COUNTRY-TEAM APPROACH. - Under the country-team approach, all officers,
representatives and personnel of the Philippine government posted abroad regardless of their mother
agencies shall, on a per country basis, act as one country-team with a mission under the leadership of
the ambassador. In this regard, the ambassador may recommend to the Secretary of the Department of
Foreign Affairs the recall of officers, representatives and personnel of the Philippine government
posted abroad for acts inimical to the national interest such as, but not limited to, failure to provide
the necessary services to protect the rights of overseas Filipinos.

Upon receipt of the recommendation of the ambassador, the Secretary of the Department of
Foreign Affairs shall, in the case of officers, representatives and personnel of other departments,
endorse such recommendation to the department secretary concerned for appropriate action. Pending
investigation by an appropriate body in the Philippines, the person recommended for recall may be
placed under preventive suspension by the ambassador.

In host countries where there are Philippine consulates, such consulates shall also constitute
part of the country-team under the leadership of the ambassador.

In the implementation of the country-team approach, visiting Philippine delegations shall be

provided full support and information.

VII. DEREGULATION AND PHASE-OUT

SEC. 29. COMPREHENSIVE DEREGULATION PLAN ON RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES. - Pursuant to a

progressive policy of deregulation whereby the migration of workers becomes strictly a matter between
the worker and his foreign employer, the DOLE within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, is
hereby mandated to formulate a five-year comprehensive deregulation plan on recruitment activities
taking into account labor market trends, economic conditions of the country and emergency
circumstances which may affect the welfare of migrant workers.

SEC. 30. GRADUAL PHASE-OUT OF REGULATORY FUNCTIONS. - Within a period of five (5) years
from the effectivity of this Act, the DOLE shall phase out the regulatory functions of the POEA pursuant
to the objectives of deregulation.

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VII. PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER HIGHLY-SKILLED FILIPINOS ABROAD

SEC. 31. INCENTIVES TO PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER HIGHLY-SKILLED FILIPINOS ABROAD. -

Pursuant to the objective of encouraging professionals and other highly-skilled Filipinos abroad
especially in the field of science and technology to participate in, and contribute to national
development, the government shall provide proper and adequate incentives and programs so as to
secure their services in priority development areas of the public and private sectors.

IX. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

"SEC. 32. POEA, OWWA and other Boards; Additional Memberships. - Notwithstanding
any provision of law to the contrary, the respective Boards of the POEA and the OWWA shall, in
addition to their present composition, have three (3) members each who shall come from the
women, sea-based and land-based sectors respectively, to be selected and nominated openly by
the general membership of the sector being represented.

" The selection and nomination of the additional members from the women, sea-based and land-
based sectors shall be governed by the following guidelines:

"(a) The POEA and the OWWA shall launch a massive information campaign on
the selection of nominees and provide for a system of consultative sessions for the
certified leaders or representatives of the concerned sectors, at least three (3)
times, within ninety (90) days before the boards shall be convened, for purposes
of selection. The process shall be open, democratic and transparent;

"(b) Only non-government organizations that protect and promote the rights and
welfare of overseas Filipino workers, duly registered with the appropriate
Philippine government agency and in good standing as such, and in existence for
at least three (3) years prior to the nomination shall be qualified to nominate a
representative for each sector to the Board;

"(c) The nominee must be at least twenty-five (25) years of age, able to read and
write, and a migrant worker at the time of his or her nomination or was a migrant
worker with at least three (3) years experience as such; and

"(d) A final list of all the nominees selected by the OWWA/POEA governing
boards, which shall consist of three(3) names for each sector to be represented,
shall be submitted to the President and published in a newspaper of general
circulation;

"Within thirty (30) days from the submission of the list, the President shall select and appoint
from the list, the representatives to the POEA/OWWA governing boards.

"The additional members shall have a term of three (3) years and shall be eligible for
reappointment for another three (3) years. In case of vacancy, the President shall in accordance
with the provisions of this Act, appoint a replacement who shall serve the unexpired term of his
or her predecessor.

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"Any executive issuances or orders issued that contravene the provisions of this section shall
have no force and effect.

"All other government agencies and government-owned or controlled corporations which

require at least one (1) representative from the overseas workers sector to their respective
boards shall follow all the applicable provisions of this section."

SEC. 33."SEC. 33. Report to Congress. - In order to inform the Philippine Congress on
the implementation of the policy enunciated in Section 4 hereof, the Department of Foreign
Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment shall submit separately to the said body a
semi-annual report of Philippine foreign posts located in countries hosting Filipino migrant
workers. The mid-year report covering the period January to June shall be submitted not later
than October 31 of the same year while the year-end report covering the period July to
December shall be submitted not later than May 31 of the following year. The report shall
include, but shall not limited to, the following information:

(a) Masterlist of Filipino migrant workers, and inventory of pending cases involving them and other
Filipino nationals including those serving prison terms;

(b) Working conditions of Filipino migrant workers;

(c) Problems encountered by the migrant workers, specifically violations of their rights;

(d) Initiative/actions taken by the Philippine foreign posts to address the problems of Filipino
migrant workers;

(e) Changes in the laws and policies of host countries; and

(f) Status of negotiations on bilateral labor agreements between the Philippines and the host
country.

" Any officer of the government who fails to submit the report as stated in this section shall be
subject to an administrative penalty of dismissal from the service with disqualification to hold
any appointive public office for five (5) years.

SEC. 34. REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS. - Pursuant to Section 3(2), Article VI of the

Constitution and in line with the objective of empowering overseas Filipinos to participate in the
policy-making process to address Filipino migrant concerns, two (2) sectoral representatives for
migrant workers in the House of Representatives shall be appointed by the President from the ranks of
migrant workers: Provided, that at least one (1) of the two (2) sectoral representatives shall come from
the women migrant workers sector: Provided, further, that all nominees must have at least two (2)
years experience as a migrant worker.

SEC. 35. Exemption from Travel Tax Documentary Stamp and Airport Fee. - All laws to
the contrary notwithstanding, the migrant workers shall be exempt from the payment of travel
tax and airport-fee upon proper showing of proof entitlement by the POEA.

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"The remittances of all overseas Filipino workers, upon showing of the same proof of entitlement
by the overseas Filipino worker's beneficiary or recipient, shall be exempt from the payment of
documentary stamp tax.

SEC. 36. NON-INCREASE OF FEES; ABOLITION OF REPATRIATION BOND. - Upon approval of this
Act, all fees being charged by any government office on migrant workers shall remain at their present
levels and the repatriation bond shall be established.

SEC. 37. THE CONGRESSIONAL MIGRANT WORKERS SCHOLARSHIP FUND. - There is hereby
created a Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund which shall benefit deserving migrant
workers and/or their immediate descendants below twenty-one (21) years of age who intent to pursue
courses or training primarily in the field of science and technology. The initial seed fund of two
hundred million pesos (P200,000,000.00) shall be constituted from the following sources:

SEC. 37-A. Compulsory Insurance Coverage for Agency-Hired Workers. - In addition to

the performance bond to be filed by the recruitment/manning agency under Section 10, each
migrant worker deployed by a recruitment/manning agency shall be covered by a compulsory
insurance policy which shall be secured at no cost to the said worker. Such insurance policy
shall be effective for the duration of the migrant worker's employment and shall cover, at the
minimum:

"(a) Accidental death, with at least Fifteen thousand United States dollars
(US$10,000.00) survivor's benefit payable to the migrant worker's beneficiaries;

"(c) Permanent total disablement, with at least Seven thousand five hundred
United States dollars (US$7,500.00) disability benefit payable to the migrant
worker. The following disabilities shall be deemed permanent: total, complete
loss of sight of both eyes; loss of two(2) limbs at or above the ankles or wrists;
permanent complete paralysis of two (2) limbs; brain injury resulting to incurable
imbecility or insanity;

"(d) Repatriation cost of the worker when his/her employment is terminated

without any valid cause, including the transport of his or her personal belongings.
In case of death, the insurance provider shall arrange and pay for the
repatriation or return of the worker's remains. The insurance provider shall also
render any assistance necessary in the transport including, but not limited to,
locating a local licensed funeral home, mortuary or direct disposition facility to
prepare the body for transport, completing all documentation, obtaining legal
clearances, procuring consular services, providing necessary casket or air
transport container, as well as transporting the remains including retrieval from
site of death and delivery to the receiving funeral home;

"(e) Subsistence allowance benefit, with at least One hundred United States
dollars (US$100.00) Per month for a maximum of six (6) months for a migrant
worker who is involved in a case or litigation for the protection of his/her rights
in the receiving country;

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 "(f) Money claims arising from employer's liability which may be awarded or
given to the worker in a judgment or settlement of his or her case in the NLRC.
The insurance coverage for money claims shall be equivalent to at least three (3)
months for every year of the migrant worker's employment contract;

"In addition to the above coverage, the insurance policy shall also include:

"(g) Compassionate visit. When a migrant worker is hospitalized and has been
confined for at least seven (7) consecutive days, he shall be entitled to a
compassionate visit by one (1) family member or a requested individual. The
insurance company shall pay for the transportation cost of the family member or
requested individual to the major airport closest to the place of hospitalization of
the worker. It is, however, the responsibility of the family member or requested
individual to meet all visa and travel document requirements;

"(h) Medical evacuation. When an adequate medical facility is not available

proximate to the migrant worker, as determined by the insurance company's
physician and/or a consulting physician, evacuation under appropriate medical
supervision by the mode of transport necessary shall be undertaken by the
insurance provider; and

"(i) Medical repatriation. When medically necessary as determined by the

attending physician, repatriation under medical supervision to the migrant
worker's residence shall be undertaken by the insurance provider at such time
that the migrant worker is medically cleared for travel by commercial carrier. If
the period to receive medical clearance to travel exceeds fourteen (14) days from
the date of discharge from the hospital, an alternative appropriate mode of
transportation, such as air ambulance, may be arranged. Medical and non-
medical escorts may be provided when necessary.

"Only reputable private insurance companies duly registered with the Insurance Commission
(IC) , which are in existence and operational for at least Five hundred million pesos
(P500,000,000.00) to be determined by the IC, and with a current year certificate of authority
shall be qualified to provide for the worker's insurance coverage. Insurance companies who
have directors, partners, officers, employees or agents with relatives, within the fourth civil
degree of consanguinity or affinity, who work or have interest in any of the licensed
recruitment/manning agencies or in any of the government agencies involved in the overseas
employment program shall be disqualified from providing this workers' insurance coverage.

"The recruitment/manning agency shall have the right to choose from any of the qualified
insurance providers the company that will insure the migrant worker it will deploy. After
procuring such insurance policy, the recruitment/manning agency shall provide an authenticated
copy thereof to the migrant worker. It shall then submit the certificate of insurance coverage of
the migrant worker to POEA as a requirement for the issuance of an Overseas Employment
Certificate (OEC) to the migrant worker. In the case of seafarers who are insured under policies
issued by foreign insurance companies, the POEA shall accept certificates or other proofs of

22
cover from recruitment/manning agencies: Provided, That the minimum coverage under sub-
paragraphs (a) to (i) are included therein.

"Any person having a claim upon the policy issued pursuant to subparagraphs (a), (b), (c), (d)
and (e) of this section shall present to the insurance company concerned a written notice of
claim together with pertinent supporting documents. The insurance company shall forthwith
ascertain the truth and extent of the claim and make payment within ten (10) days from the filing
of the notice of claim.

"Any claim arising from accidental death, natural death or disablement under this section shall
be paid by the insurance company without any contest and without the necessity of providing
fault or negligence of any kind on the part of the insured migrant worker: Provided, That the
following documents, duly authenticated by the Philippine foreign posts, shall be sufficient
evidence to substantiate the claim:

"(1) Death Certificate - In case of natural or accidental death;

"(2) Police or Accident Report - In case of accidental death; and

"(3) Medical Certificate - In case of permanent disablement;

"For repatriation under subparagraph (d) hereof, a certification which states the reason/s for
the termination of the migrant worker's employment and the need for his or her repatriation
shall be issued by the Philippine foreign post or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO)
located in the receiving country.

"For subsistence allowance benefit under subparagraph (e), the concerned labor attach or, in
his absence, the embassy or consular official shall issue a certification which states the name of
the case, the names of the parties and the nature of the cause of action of the migrant worker.

"For the payment of money claims under subparagraph (f), the following rules shall govern:

"(1) After a decision has become final and executor or a settlement/compromise

agreement has been reached between the parties at the NLRC, an order shall be
released mandating the respondent recruitment/manning agency to pay the
amount adjudged or agreed upon within thirty (30) days;

"(2) The recruitment/manning agency shall then immediately file a notice of claim
with its insurance provider for the amount of liability insured, attaching therewith
a copy of the decision or compromise agreement;

"(3) Within ten (10) days from the filing of notice of claim, the insurance company
shall make payment to the recruitment/manning agency the amount adjudged or
agreed upon, or the amount of liability insured, whichever is lower. After
receiving the insurance payment, the recruitment/manning agency shall
immediately pay the migrant worker's claim in full, taking into account that in

23
 case the amount of insurance coverage is insufficient to satisfy the amount
adjudged or agreed upon, it is liable to pay the balance thereof;

"(4) In case the insurance company fails to make payment within ten (10) days
from the filing of the claim, the recruitment/ manning agency shall pay the
amount adjudged or agreed upon within the remaining days of the thirty (30)-day
period, as provided in the first subparagraph hereof;

"(5) If the worker's claim was not settled within the aforesaid thirty (30)-day
period, the recruitment/manning agency's performance bond or escrow deposit
shall be forthwith garnished to satisfy the migrant worker's claim;

"(6) The provision of compulsory worker's insurance under this section shall not
affect the joint and solidary liability of the foreign employer and the
recruitment/manning agency under Section 10;

"(7) Lawyers for the insurance companies, unless the latter is impleaded, shall be
prohibited to appear before the NLRC in money claims cases under this section.

"Any question or dispute in the enforcement of any insurance policy issued under this section
shall be brought before the IC for mediation or adjudication.

"In case it is shown by substantial evidence before the POEA that the migrant worker who was
deployed by a licensed recruitment/manning agency has paid for the premium or the cost of the
insurance coverage or that the said insurance coverage was used as basis by the
recruitment/manning agency to claim any additional fee from the migrant worker, the said
licensed recruitment/manning agency shall lose its license and all its directors, partners,
proprietors, officers and employees shall be perpetually disqualified from engaging in the
business of recruitment of overseas workers. Such penalty is without prejudice to any other
liability which such persons may have incurred under existing laws, rules or regulations.

"For migrant workers recruited by the POEA on a government-to-government arrangement, the

POEA shall establish a foreign employers guarantee fund which shall be answerable to the
workers' monetary claims arising from breach of contractual obligations. For migrant workers
classified as rehires, name hires or direct hires, they may opt to be covered by this insurance
coverage by requesting their foreign employers to pay for the cost of the insurance coverage or
they may pay for the premium themselves. To protect the rights of these workers, the POEA shall
provide them adequate legal assistance, including conciliation and mediation services, whether
at home or abroad.

"At the end of every year, the Department of Labor and Employment and the IC shall jointly
make an assessment of the performance of all insurance providers, based upon the report of the
NLRC and the POEA on their respective interactions and experiences with the insurance
companies, and they shall have the authority to ban or blacklist such insurance companies which
are known to be evasive or not responsive to the legitimate claims of migrant workers. The

24
Department of Labor and Employment shall include such assessment in its year-end report to
Congress.

"For purposes of this section, the Department of Labor and Employment, IC, NLRC and the
POEA, in consultation with the recruitment/manning agencies and legitimate non-government
organizations advocating the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers, shall formulate
the necessary implementing rules and regulations.

"The foregoing provisions on compulsory insurance coverage shall be subject to automatic

review through the Congressional Oversight Committee immediately after three (3) years from
the effectivity of this Act in order to determine its efficacy in favor of the covered overseas
Filipino workers and the compliance by recruitment/manning agencies and insurance
companies, without prejudice to an earlier review if necessary and warranted for the purpose of
modifying, amending and/or repealing these subject provisions.

"Sec. 37-B. Congressional Oversight Committee. - There is hereby created a Joint Congressional
Oversight Committee composed of five (5) Senators and five (5) Representatives to be appointed
by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The
Oversight Committee shall be co-chaired by the chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Labor
and Employment and the House of Representatives Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs. The
Oversight Committee shall have the following duties and functions:

"(a) To set the guidelines and overall framework to monitor and ensure the
proper implementation of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended, as well as all
programs, projects and activities related to overseas employment;

"(b) To ensure transparency and require the submission of reports from

concerned government agencies on the conduct of programs, projects and
policies relating to the implementation of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended;

"(c) To approve the budget for the programs of the Oversight Committee and all
disbursements therefrom, including compensation of all personnel;

"(d) To submit periodic reports to the President of the Philippines and Congress
on the implementation of the provisions of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended;

"(e) To determine weaknesses in the law and recommend the necessary remedial
legislation or executive measures; and

"(f) To perform such other duties, functions and responsibilities as may be

necessary to attain its objectives.

"The Oversight Committee shall adopt its internal rules of procedure, conduct hearings and
receive testimonies, reports, and technical advice, invite or summon by subpoena ad
testificandum any public official or private citizen to testify before it, or require any person by

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subpoena duces tecum documents or other materials as it may require consistent with the
provisions of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended.

"The Oversight Committee shall organize its staff and technical panel, and appoint such
personnel, whether on secondment from the Senate and the House of Representatives or on
temporary, contractual, or on consultancy, and determine their compensation subject to
applicable civil service laws, rules and regulations with a view to ensuring a competent and
efficient secretariat.

"The members of the Oversight Committee shall not receive additional compensation,
allowances or emoluments for services rendered thereto except traveling, extraordinary and
other necessary expenses to attain its goals and objectives.

"The Oversight Committee shall exist for a period of ten (10) years from the effectivity of this Act
and may be extended by a joint concurrent resolution."

The Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund as herein created shall be administered by
the DOLE in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). To carry out the
objectives of this section, the DOLE and the DOST shall formulate the necessary rules and regulations.

SEC. 38. APPROPRIATION AND OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING. - The amount necessary to carry
out the provisions of this Act shall be provided for in the General Appropriations Act of the year
following its enactment into law and thereafter.

SEC. 39. MIGRANT WORKERS DAY. - The day of signing by the President of this Act shall be
designated as the Migrant Workers Day and shall henceforth be commemorated as such annually.

SEC. 40. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS. - The departments and agencies charged
with carrying out the provisions of this Act shall, within ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this
Act, formulate the necessary rules and regulations for its effective implementation.

SEC. 41. REPEATING CLAUSE. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, or
parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 42. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. - If, for any reason, any section or provision of this Act is held
unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof shall not be affected thereby.

SEC. 43. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation
whichever comes earlier.

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