Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING FREE INSURANCE FOR COVERED APPLICANTS OF 
OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATES, APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), there 
are 8,874,472 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) living and working abroad, 
composed of 3.50 million documented workers, 3.80 million permanent 
migrants, and 1.58 million undocumented workers as of December 2020. 
This number presents a grim picture – this means that there are roughly one 
undocumented OFW for every two documented OFWs.  
In fact, past experiences have shown us the difficulty of the situation 
of undocumented workers. For example, in 2018, news of Filipino truck 
drivers stationed at Padborg, Denmark surfaced. During the Senate hearing 
on this issue, the POEA admitted that the truck drivers were undocumented, 
unmonitored and were only given attention by the Embassy after media 
outlets informed the Embassy of their situation. Recently, the Bureau of 
Immigration discovered that some OFWs bring their respective family 
members with them abroad in order to make it appear that the travel is 
legitimately for vacation purposes, and would therefore only present tourist 
visas. However, the migrant would not return to the country.1 
1 Jun Ramirez, BI uncovers new ploy by undocumented OFWs to go abroad, March 24, 2022, accessible at 
https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/24/bi-uncovers-new-ploy-by-undocumented-ofws-to-go-abroad/ (last accessed July 7, 2022). 
November 7, 2022
8:05 am
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Under Republic Act No. 8042, as amended by Republic Act No. 10022, 
and its implementing rules and regulations, an Overseas Employment 
Certificate (OEC), issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority 
(POEA), is a clearance issued to OFWs who exit from the Philippines for 
employment purposes. An OEC shall serve as a travel exit pass for OFWs 
at airports, as an exemption certificate from payment of travel tax and airport 
terminal fees, and as a guarantee that the OFW is covered by government 
protection.2 However, this is sometimes seen as an additional task or 
requirement that occasionally hinders some OFWs to undergo the process 
of obtaining the same in pursuit of their overseas employment. 
 
 
Nonetheless, in view of the importance of obtaining an OEC, there is 
a need to incentivize OFWs who do not go through the procedures as 
prescribed by the POEA, or as thereafter may be prescribed by the newly-
created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), or who have ceased to 
register their membership with OWWA after their initial deployment, or who 
have transferred to another country by way of third-country recruitment, to 
register with the POEA (or the DMW, once the DMW is fully operational), or 
with the Philippine Embassy or consular offices abroad and get their 
corresponding OECs. This step will help the government in properly 
monitoring OFWs, and to ensure that they are protected from human 
trafficking and abuses.  
 
 
To this end, this bill seeks to give free insurance coverage to covered 
OFWs that apply for an overseas employment certificate. This bill 
incentivizes 
undocumented 
Filipino 
workers 
to 
acquire 
proper 
documentation in order to receive the benefits and protection guaranteed to 
them by the State, and to devise a system for the State to monitor its workers 
overseas, to ensure that the Filipino people would not have to grieve over 
another loved one who chose to risk his/her life to work abroad. 
 
The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
 
 
 
 
 
2 Omnibus Rules and Regulations Implementing the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as 
amended by Republic Act No. 10022. 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING FREE INSURANCE FOR COVERED APPLICANTS OF 
OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATES, APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
2 
3 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the 
4 
“Protektadong OFW Act.” 
5 
6 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall afford full 
7 
protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized. 
8 
Towards this end, the State shall provide adequate and timely social, 
9 
legal, and economic services to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). 
10 
Pursuant to this, the State shall ensure that all OFWs are properly 
11 
monitored and accounted for with due regard for their protection and 
12 
welfare, and that they are incentivized to make themselves known to 
13 
Philippine authorities abroad.  
14 
15 
SEC. 3. Coverage. – The benefits under this Act shall apply to 
16 
applicants of overseas employment certificates (OECs); Provided, That 
17 
the applicant-migrant worker is abroad; Provided further, That he/she has 
18 
no prior record with the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority 
19 
(POEA) and/or the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), or if he/she 
20 
has a prior record, is working in a vulnerable sector, as may be determined 
21 
by the DMW. 
22 
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1 
SEC. 4. Benefits. – Covered migrant workers, upon securing an 
2 
overseas employment certificate from the DMW, the Philippine Embassy, 
3 
or consular offices abroad, shall be given a free one-year insurance with 
4 
the same or similar coverage as required under Republic Act No. 8042, 
5 
as amended, otherwise known as the “Migrant Workers and Overseas 
6 
Filipinos Act,” and Section 6(n) of Republic Act No. 11641, otherwise 
7 
known as the “Department of Migrant Workers Act”; 
8 
 
9 
SEC. 5. Funding. – The payment for the premium of the insurance 
10 
provided under this Act shall be funded partly by the budget of the DMW 
11 
earmarked for the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo Para sa mga OFW na 
12 
Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund, budget of the DFA earmarked for 
13 
Assistance to Nationals, and partly by the appropriations in the General 
14 
Appropriations Act, as included in the budget of the DMW. For the first 
15 
year of the implementation of this Act, an initial amount of Thirty Million 
16 
Pesos (Php30,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated. Thereafter, such 
17 
amount necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in 
18 
the annual General Appropriations Act. 
19 
 
20 
SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DMW, DFA, 
21 
OWWA, Insurance Commission, and other relevant stakeholders, shall 
22 
issue the implementing rule and regulations of this Act within sixty (60) 
23 
days from the effectivity of this Act. 
24 
 
25 
To ensure the proper implementation of this Act, DMW and DFA 
26 
shall establish a system that shall facilitate the processing and issuance 
27 
of OECs abroad.  
28 
 
29 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. – Any portion or provision of this Act 
30 
that is declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect of 
31 
nullifying other portions or provisions hereof as long as such remaining 
32 
portions can still subsist and be given effect in their entirety. 
33 
 
34 
SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. – All laws, ordinances, decrees, 
35 
executive orders, rules and regulations, other issuances or parts thereof, 
36 
which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
37 
accordingly. 
38 
 
39 
SEC. 9. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
40 
from its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national 
41 
newspapers of general circulation. 
42 
 
43 


Approved, 
1