FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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) 
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Hl 
JUL -1 118:52 
SENATE 
L 
S.B. No. 
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J) 
flECIHVEO BY, - tf 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to create a hospital dedicated to overseas Filipino workers and 
their dependents. 
Section 3, Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that 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. 
Pursuant to this, Republic Act No. 8042 otherwise known as the Migrant Workers 
and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 was enacted to implement this State policy. 
Data from the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics reveal that as of 
year-end 2009, there were 1,422,586 Filipinos deployed for overseas employment, 
generating US$17.348 Billion worth of remittances. 
Due to differing culture, working conditions and upper-hand nature of 
overseas employers characterizing overseas employment, overseas Filipino workers 
often find themselves vulnerable to abuse, discrimination and exploitation. Some of 
them come home with poor health conditions that need immediate attention. Based 
on statistics, about 42% of all repatriated OFWs returned to the Philippines needing 
medical attention or hospital confinement for various physical or mental illnesses 
sustained abroad. 
This bill seeks to address the health needs of overseas Filipino workers by 
creating a hospital that exclusively caters to them. This proposed measure also aims 
to complement the present package of health services provided by OWW A so as to 
include supplementary provisions for preventive, promotive, diagnostic and 
rehabilitative programs so that a comprehensive/total health care for OFWs and 
their dependents can be had. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
~~~~~~~~~~~====~> 
LOREN"LEGARDA 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
H1 Jll -1 
118 :52 
S.Ii.'N o. 
8 
fi 
~£CIEIVEO BY : ___ ~"._ ... 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL HOSPITAL FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINO 
WORKERS (OFWS) AND THEIR DEPENDENTS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Migrant Workers 
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Hospital Act of 2010". 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - It is the policy of the State to adopt an 
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integrated and comprehensive approach to health development, which shall 
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endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all 
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people at affordable cost Further, the State shall protect the interest and promote the 
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well-being of Filipino overseas workers including their families and dependents 
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through the provision of social and welfare services. 
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SEC. 3. Creation of Special Hospital. - Towards this end, there is hereby 
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created a special hospital to be known as the Migrant Workers Hospital, which shall 
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be under the supervision and control of the Overseas Workers Welfare 
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Administration (OWWA). 
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SEC. 4. Objectives. - To ensure the availability, accessibility and afford ability 
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of quality health care, Migrant Workers Hospital shall: 
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a) Provide for a comprehensive/ total health care services to all migrant workers 
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who are OWW A contributors including their dependents; 
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b) Complement the existing package of services under the Health Care Program 
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to include preventive, promotive, diagnostic, curative and rehabilitative 
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programs; 
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c) Conduct medical examination to ensure the physical and mental capability of 
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all the would-be overseas Filipino workers duly covered by an approved job 
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order; 
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d) Set-up a system that will effectively monitor the condition of patients and to 
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generate relevant information and data in aid of policy formulation. 
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SEC. 5. Administration and Composition of Board Members. - Upon the 
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effectivity of this Act, the powers and the administration of the Migrant Workers 
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Hospital shall be vested in a Board, which is composed of the following members: 
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a) The Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment as Ex-Officio 
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Chairman; 
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b) The Administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration as Ex-
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Officio Vice Chairman; 
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c) The Secretary of the Department of Health as Ex-Officio Member; 
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d) The Secretary of the Department o/Social Welfare and Development as Ex-
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Officio Member; 
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e) The Administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as 
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Ex-Officio Member: 
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f) Two (2) representatives from OFWs sector (one from landbased and another 
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from sea-based) as Members. 
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The two representatives from the OFWs sector shall be appointed by the 
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President of the Philippines from a list of nominees submitted by the Ex-
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Officio Chairman. The representatives appOinted shall serve for a term of 
three (3) years without re-appointment. 
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SEC. 6. Responsibilities and Powers. - The Board of Directors of the Migrant 
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Workers Hospital shall have the following responsibilities and powers: 
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a) To formulate and implement measures and programs to attain the Migrant 
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Workers Hospital's objectives and purposes as enunciated in Section 4 of this 
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Act; 
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b) To enter into agreements and contracts in connection with its establishment, 
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maintenance, operations and objectives; 
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c) To issue rules and regulations to carry out the objectives and purposes of this 
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Act; 
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d) To perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by law. 
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SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Board shall adopt rules 
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and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days from 
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the date of its approval. 
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SEC. 8. Appropriation. - In addition to the seed money held in trust by the 
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OWWA, the National Government shall contribute the amount necessary for the 
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establishment and initial operation of the Migrant Workers Hospital, which shall be 
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taken from the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Subsequently, its 
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appropriation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA). 
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SEC. 9. Assistance from Government Offices. - The Migrant Workers Hospital 
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may call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the 
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Government, including government owned or controlled corporations, for such 
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assistance as it may need in the pursuit of its purposes and objectives. 
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SEC. 10. Exemption from Donor's Taxes, Customs and Tariff Duties. - All 
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donations, contributions or endowments which may be made by persons or entities 
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to the hospital and the importation of medical equipment and machineries, spare 
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parts and other medical equipment not hereto mentioned used solely and 
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exclusively for the Migrant Workers Hospital shall be exempt from income, gift, 
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direct and indirect taxes, wharfage fees, and other charges and restrictions. 
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SEC.ll. Annual Report. - The Migrant Workers Hospital shall render to the 
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President of the Philippines, to the Senate and to the House of Representatives an 
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annual report of its activities and recommendations. 
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SEC. 12. Congressional Oversight Committee. - A Congressional Oversight 
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Committee, herein after referred to as the "Committee", is hereby constituted in 
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accordance with the provisions of this Act. The Committee shall be composed of the 
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Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources 
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Development and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on 
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Overseas Workers Affairs and four (4) additional members from each House to be 
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designated by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
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Representatives, respectively. The Committee shall, among others in aid of 
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legislation: 
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a) Monitor and ensure the proper implementation of this Act; 
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b) Review the performance of the hospital; and 
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c) Review the proper implementation of the programs of the Hospital and the 
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use of its fund. 
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In furtherance of the herein above cited objectives, the Committee is 
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empowered to require the hospital to submit all pertinent information including but 
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not limited to its performance data and its annual audited financial statement 
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certified b y the Commission on Audit. 
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SEC. 13. Repealing Clause -All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
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regulations or part thereof deemed inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
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hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 14. Effectivity Clause -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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