Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____________ 
Introduced by MARINO Party-list Representative 
SANDRO L. GONZALEZ 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY IMMUNIZATION SERVICES FOR OVERSEAS 
FILIPINO WORKERS, PENALIZING CERTAIN PROHIBITED ACTS, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Despite having the moniker “modern-day heroes”, our OFWs, unlike superheroes, are 
not immune to all kinds of harm, let alone diseases which are communicable. Our present 
conduct of Pre-employment Orientation and Pre-departure Orientation Seminars for our 
OFWs, though increases their knowledge and capacity for prevention of acquiring these 
diseases, do not categorically protect our OFWs from contracting these diseases. 
There are also some communicable diseases which do not immediately manifest 
symptoms in an infected person. In the case of the Philippines where OFWs usually come from 
provinces and belong to families with numerous members, the risk of transmission is greater, 
owing to the movement of returning OFWs from Manila, which is usually the point of hire for 
most OFWs, to the various parts of the country, as well as the social tendencies of Filipinos. 
When the transmission is not contained immediately and becomes widespread, these diseases 
pose a threat to the health and safety of the society. 
It is thus the intention of this bill to protect and promote the health of our OFWs by 
providing them with additional protection and thus boosting their immunity from vaccine 
preventable diseases in their country of destination. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is most urgently and earnestly 
recommended. 
SANDRO L. GONZALEZ 
Representative 
MARINO Party-list 
July 1, 2022
8:12 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____________ 
Introduced by MARINO Party-list Representative 
SANDRO L. GONZALEZ 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY IMMUNIZATION SERVICES FOR OVERSEAS 
FILIPINO WORKERS, PENALIZING CERTAIN ACTS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Title – This Act shall be known as the “Mandatory OFW Health Immunization 
Act”. 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy – In accordance with Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution, 
it is hereby declared a policy of the State to take a proactive role in the preventive health care 
of migrant workers. Towards this end, the State shall adopt a comprehensive, mandatory and 
sustainable immunization program for vaccine-preventable diseases for all migrant workers. 
Section 3. Definition of Terms – For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
a.
“Manning Agency” refers to any person, partnership or corporation duly licensed by
the Secretary or his/her duly authorized representative to engage in the recruitment and
placement of Filipino seafarers for a ship plying international waters and for related
maritime activities.
b. “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
military or non-commercial purposes or on an installation located offshore or on the
high seas; to be used interchangeably with migrant worker.
c.
“Recruitment Agency” refers to any person, partnership or corporation duly licensed
by the Secretary of Labor and Employment to engage in the recruitment and placement
of workers for overseas employment for a fee which is charged, directly or indirectly
from the workers or employers or both.
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Section 4. Coverage – The mandatory immunization for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) 
with secured contracts provided under this Act shall cover the following vaccine-preventable 
diseases: 
 
a) Cholera; 
b) Yellow Fever; 
c) Tuberculosis; 
d) Ebola; 
e) Chicken Pox; 
f) Measles; 
g) Hepatitis A; 
h) Hepatitis B; 
i) Mumps; 
j) Rubella or German measles; 
k) Human Influenza; and 
l) Such other types as may be determined by the Secretary of Health in a department 
circular. 
Section 5. Period for Immunization – Recruitment and manning agencies shall ensure that all 
OFWs prior to deployment have been appropriately vaccinated for highly-contractable diseases 
in the area/s where the OFW will be deployed. 
Section 6. Obligation to Inform – Any physician, nurse, nursing aide or person authorized by 
the DOH to administer vaccines, who actually administers a vaccine to the OFW shall, prior to 
administration, inform the OFW of the nature, benefits and possible effects of immunization. 
 
Section 7. Immunization Record Book – There shall be issued an Immunization Record Book 
(IRB) to each active OFW which shall contain all records of his immunization pursuant to this 
Act.  
 
The IRB shall bear the OFWs name, birthday, address and other pertinent personal 
information and shall be treated as a government-issued ID 
 
All authorized persons administering the vaccine to the OFW must write the date of the 
administration of the vaccine, affix his/her signature and attach the cut-out or sticker of the 
vaccine details to the IRB. 
 
Section 8. Costs of Immunization – The costs of the immunization, including the payment of 
professional fee, shall be equally shared by the OFW concerned, the government, the principal 
or the recruitment/manning agency, and the union in which the OFW is a member, if any. 
 
The costs of the immunization shall be advanced by the concerned recruitment/manning 
agency, subject to reimbursements from the government, the OFW, and the union, if applicable. 
 
Section 9. Presentation of IRB as Prerequisite to Deployment – The presentation of a valid 
IRB with appropriate records of immunization shall be a condition precedent to the deployment 
of the OFW.  
 
Section 10. Information Dissemination – The Department of Health, in partnership with the 
Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, the Overseas 


Workers Welfare Administration, the Maritime Industry Authority, airport authorities and port 
authorities, shall educate all active OFWs of the importance and possible effects of 
immunization. 
 
Section 11. Continuing Education and Training of Health Personnel - The DOH, with the 
assistance of other government agencies, local government units, academe, professional 
societies and nongovernmental organizations, shall undertake continuing information, 
education and training programs for all health personnel on the rationale and benefits of as well 
as modern procedures for immunization of OFWs against vaccine-preventable diseases. 
 
Section 12. Prohibited Acts – It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to commit the 
following prohibited acts: 
 
a. Soliciting information as to the history of immunization of a person applying for a job 
abroad; 
b. Asking or conniving with medical practitioners to obtain immunization record of a 
person; 
c. Discriminating an applicant on the basis of his record of immunization; 
d. Making the presentation of the a person’s immunization record as pre-condition for 
employment; 
e. Causing or allowing the deployment of an OFW who does not have appropriate 
vaccination; and 
f. Failure of medical practitioner to inform the OFW-patient about the nature, benefits 
and possible effects of the drug that will be administered to the OFW. 
 
Section 13. Penalties – 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). 
 
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 as well as 
the responsible employees/agents thereof shall be liable. 
 
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, medical clinic or concerned medical 
practitioner. 
 
Section 14. Filing of Case Not a Bar – The filing of a case punishable under this Act shall be 
without prejudice to the filing of cases punishable under other existing laws, rules or 
regulations. 
 
Section 15. Appropriations – The amount necessary to carry out the implementation of this 
Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations for immunization of the DOH. 
Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 


 
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) shall include the health immunization 
services for OFWs in its benefit package. 
 
Section 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations – The DOH, in consultation with the 
National Immunization Committee, shall issue the necessary implementing rules and 
regulations in accordance with the provisions of this Act within sixty (90) days from the 
effectivity hereof. 
 
Section 17.  Separability Clause – If, for any reason, any section, subsection, clause or term 
of this Act is held to be illegal, invalid, or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions hereof 
which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
Section 18. Repealing Clause – All laws, orders, decrees, letters of instruction, rules and 
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended, 
modified, or repealed accordingly.  
 
Section 19. Effectivity Clause – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,