Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JUAN MIGUEL MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (OFW) 
HOSPITAL AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were 2.3 million Overseas 
Filipino Workers (OFWs) in 2018 – 17.9 percent came from the CALABARZON 
region, 14.3 percent from Central Luzon, and the National Capital region and Ilocos region each 
with 9.7 percent share. Most OFWs worked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and 
Kuwait. Most OFWs were in elementary occupations, or were service and sales 
workers, or were plant and machine operators and assemblers. In 2018, the OFWs 
contributed around 235.9 billion pesos in remittances during the period April to 
September alone. 
Despite improvements in occupational health and safety worldwide, OFWs 
suffer from a growing list of physical and mental health problems due to risks associated 
with the nature of their employments. The Department of Health (DOH) in 2017 
provided assistance to 101 medically repatriated overseas Filipinos; neurologic, 
cardiovascular and cancer problems were the top cases for medical repatriation. Claims 
from the OFWs and their dependents from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 
(PhilHealth) amounted to 1.7 million pesos, including those who were confined in 
hospitals abroad. Renal failure, community-acquired pneumonia, normal spontaneous 
delivery, acute gastroenteritis, and urinary tract infection are the leading cases by 
PhilHealth claims. 
The country's policy environment provides significant protections to the health 
of OFWs. Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10022, which amended R.A. 8042, or " Migrant 
Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995," improved the standards of protection and 
promotion of welfare of the OFWs and their families. A Joint Memorandum Circular 
was issued for the Integrated Medical Repatriation Assistance Program, while the DOH 
established its "National Policy on the Health of Migrants and Overseas Filipinos," and 
the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) established its MEDPlus 
program as supplemental medical assistance for OWWA members. The country needs 
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8:37 pm
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to do more, especially in paving better access, and in providing higher quality of 
healthcare. The establishment of a national hospital facility with departmentalized 
clinical services and select specialty care for OFWs and their families is being proposed 
to fill in these gaps. 
In view of the foregoing, and in order to make the country's commitment to 
Universal Health Care more genuinely felt by the OFW community, approval of this 
bill is being sought. 
HON. JUAN MIGUEL MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
Representative, 2nd District of Pampanga 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representative Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (OFW) HOSPITAL 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Overseas Filipino 
Workers (OFW) Hospital Act or the OFW Hospital Act of 2021”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is policy of the State to protect and promote the 
right to health of the Filipino people and to instill health consciousness among them. The 
State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development. 
Further, the State shall protect the interest and promote the well-being of overseas 
Filipino workers (OFW) in recognition of their importance and contribution to economic 
development and nation building. 
SECTION 3. Establishment of OFW Hospital and Its Coverage – There shall be an 
established hospital with tertiary level of care in Pampanga to be known as OFW 
Hospital, herein after referred to as the “Hospital”. 
The Hospital shall be established to cater to the health care needs of OFW 
and their qualified dependents. Provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent 
the Hospital from accommodating emergency cases of patients, other than OFWs and 
their dependents, as required by existing laws. 
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SECTION 4. Objectives. - To ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of 
quality health care for OFWs and their qualified dependents, the Hospital shall have the 
following objectives: 
 
a. Provide comprehensive and total health care services to all migrant 
workers including 
Overseas 
Workers Welfare 
Administration 
(OWWA) contributors, whether active or non-active and their qualified 
legal dependents; 
 
b. Conduct medical examinations to ensure the physical and mental 
capability of would-be overseas contract workers duly covered by an 
approved job order; 
 
c. Serve as primary referral hospital for repatriated OFWs in need 
of medical services and assistance; 
 
d. Set up systems that will effectively monitor the condition of 
patients and to generate relevant health information and data for policy 
formulation; and 
 
e. Participate in the health care provider networks and arrangements 
relative to the implementation of Republic Act No. 11223, or the 
"Universal Health Care Act". 
 
SECTION 5. Definition of Terms - The following terms as used in this Act refers 
to: 
 
a. Overseas Filipino Workers-  a person who is to be engaged, is engaged, 
or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which the 
person is not a citizen, or on board a vessel navigating the foreign seas 
other than a government ship used for military or noncommercial 
purposes, or on an installation located offshore or on the high seas1. 
 
b. Qualified Dependents - (1) The legal spouse; (2) The legitimate, 
illegitimate, legitimated, and legally adopted child, who is unmarried, 
not gainfully employed, and not over the age of majority, or is over 
the age of majority but incapacitated and incapable of self-support 
due to a mental or physical defect; and (3) The parents who rely 
primarily upon the member-OFWs for support2; 
 
c. OFW Hospital - shall refer to a facility that is devoted primarily to the 
provision of services for health promotion, prevention, diagnosis, 


 
treatment, rehabilitation, palliation of individuals suffering from illness, 
disease, injury, disability or deformity, or are in need of obstetrical or 
other medical and nursing care, as well as the provision of mental 
care services. 
 
 
1 Secti on 7, R.A. No. 10801 
2 -do- 
 
d. Emergency - a condition or state of a patient wherein based on the 
objective findings of a prudent medical officer on duty for the day there 
is immediate danger and where delay in initial support and treatment 
may cause loss of life or cause permanent disability to the patient. 
 
SECTION 6. Board of Directors of the Hospital. The Hospital shall be under the full 
administrative and technical supervision of the Board of Directors (BOD). 
 
a. Composition. The OFW Hospital Board of Directors shall be 
composed of the following: The Secretaries of the Department of 
Health (DOH) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as 
co-Chairpersons and shall have the following as members: 
 
1. The Secretary of Department (DOF); 
2. The Secretary of Department of Budget and Management 
(DBM); 
3. The Administrator of Overseas Workers Welfare 
Administration (OWWA); 
4. The Administrator of Philippine Overseas Employment 
Administration (POEA); and 
5. Representatives from the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), as 
members, all of whom shall be appointed by the President of 
the Philippines from: 
a. The National Capital region 
b. Luzon 
c. Visayas, and 
d. Mindanao 
 
 
b. Appointment and Tenure. The members of the Board shall have a 
term of three (3) years without reappointment, except for members whose terms shall be 
coterminous with their respective positions in government. Any vacancy in the Board 
shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made and the 
appointee shall serve only the unexpired term of his predecessor. 


 
 
SECTION 7. Board of Directors - Powers, Duties and Responsibilities. The Board 
of Directors of the Hospital shall have the following powers, duties and responsibilities: 
 
a. Formulate and implement measures and programs to attain the 
objectives and purposes of the Hospital, with utmost regard and 
priority to provide the best quality service to OFWs and their 
qualified dependents; 
b. Formulate and promulgate policies for the sound administration, 
maintenance, and operations of the Hospital; 
c. Determine the staffing pattern of the Hospital, in coordination with 
the DOH and subject to the approval by the DBM; 
d. Appoint an Administrator who is competent to manage and run the 
operations of the Hospital, including officials, employees and other 
personnel, subject to civil service laws, rules, and regulations, and to 
prescribe their duties and fixed compensation subject to the 
provisions of Republic Act No. 6758, otherwise known as the Salary 
Standardization Law; 
e. To enter into agreements and contracts in connection with the 
establishment, maintenance and operations of the Hospital; and  
f. To perform such other functions and duties as it may deem 
appropriate for the attainment of the objectives of the Hospital. 
 
  
SECTION 8. Duties and Responsibilities of Chairpersons. 
 
A. Department of Health. The following are the duties and 
responsibilities of DOH: 
 
1. Support in the establishment of the OFW hospital by providing the 
necessary permits and license to operate, subject to compliance with all 
applicable rules and regulations. 
 
2. Assist in the formulation of appropriate policies and guidelines, 
including the Hospital's staffing pattern, towards the attainment of the 
Act's objectives upon due consultation with the stakeholders. 
 
3. Approve the designs, plans, and specifications of the Hospital. 
 
4. Endorse and encourage medical specialists in tertiary government 
hospitals such as the Heart Center (HC), National Kidney and 
Transplant Institute (NKTI), Lung Center of the Philippines and the 
Philippine General Hospital (PGH), to hold clinics in the OFW 


 
Hospital and provide professional services to OFWs and qualified 
dependents, and other patients in the Hospital. 
 
5. To perform such other functions and duties as it may deem 
appropriate for the attainment of the objectives of the Hospital. 
 
B. Department of Labor and Employment. The following are the 
duties and responsibilities of DOLE: 
 
1. Issue the appropriate policies/guidelines towards the attainment of 
the Act’s objectives upon due consultation with the stakeholders. 
2. Ensure that the appropriate budgetary allocations intended for the 
implementation of this Act is included in the Annual General 
Appropriations Act in coordination with the DOF, DOH and DBM. 
3. Establish an office in the Hospital through OWWA, to assist in 
identifying, documenting, processing and approving of applications 
for benefits provided to OFWs and their qualified dependents. 
4. Establish a referral system through the OWWA and POEA, to ensure 
efficient delivery of medical and health care services to OFWs and 
their qualified dependents, including facilitation and conduct of pre-
employment medical examinations of departing OFWs. 
5. Contribute the necessary funding support to the OFW Hospital 
through the OWWA, in accordance with its mandate to provide 
health services and medical care to the OFWs and qualified 
dependents. 
6. Ensure that existing health benefits and medical assistance programs 
are 
strengthened 
to 
include 
among 
others, 
subsidies 
on 
hospitalization and medical procedures for OFWs and their qualified 
dependents. 
7. To perform such other functions and duties as it may deem 
appropriate for the attainment of the objectives of the Hospital. 
 
SECTION 9. Appropriations. The Secretary of Health and the Secretary of Labor and 
Employment shall include in their respective programs the implementation of the 
provisions of this Act in which the funding shall be included in the Annual General 
Appropriations Act. The OWWA shall also include in their benefits and medical assistance 
programs for OFW the line-item budget necessary to improve the access of OFW and 
dependents to health care services. 
 
SECTION 10. Tax Exemption. All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and 
contributions made to the OFW Hospital to be used actually, directly and exclusively by the OFW 
Hospital shall be exempt from donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction 
from the gross income of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal 
Revenue Code of 1997, as amended. 
 
 


 
 
The importation of equipment, machinery and spare parts which are used solely and 
exclusively for the operation of the OFW Hospital and are not available locally shall be exempt 
from value-added tax and customs duty. 
 
SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within sixty (60) days from the 
approval of this Act, the DOLE, in coordination with the DOH, DOF, DBM, OWWA, 
POEA and other stakeholders shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations 
(IRR) to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
provisions. 
 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. All other laws, decrees, executive orders and rules and 
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act ae hereby repealed 
or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 14. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.