Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced  by : 
 HON. MARISSA ‘DEL MAR’ MAGSINO 
OFW PARTY LIST 
________________________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
As a matter of State policy, labor migration is regarded as temporary and 
assumes that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) would eventually return to the country 
upon retirement or termination of contract, if not earlier due to voluntary or mandatory 
repatriation under any of the recognized grounds. However, OFWs returning to the 
Philippines, whether repatriated or otherwise, face the challenges of reintegrating into 
society via a smooth transition. For this reason, in the entire labor migration cycle, 
reintegration is considered a critical end-of-process stage where the financial 
sustainability, personal well-being, and the re-establishment of warm relationships with 
their families and communities hang in the balance. 
Reintegration of returnee-OFWs essentially requires a set of integrated measures 
intended for mainstreaming the sustainable return of OFWs into Philippine society. It 
necessitates a holistic approach, including but not limited to social reintegration, 
psychosocial and counseling services, livelihood projects, wellness programs, financial 
literacy programs and other similar projects, based on the specific needs of the 
returning OFWs. 
Hence, sustainable reintegration is considered achieved when returnee-OFWs 
have reached levels of economic self-sufficiency, social stability within their 
communities, and psychosocial well-being, empowering them to tackle the question of 
further migration as a matter of choice than necessity. 
This bill seeks to focus on and address the issues confronting returnee-OFWs, 
specifically on the availability of and access to decent local employment prospects and 
entrepreneurial or livelihood opportunities to facilitate their and their families’ 
transition and settlement to normal life. These concerns on ‘economic reintegration’ are 
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particularly pressing to returnee-OFWs who have been repatriated due to untimely job 
loss, disabling illnesses and health issues, or having been victims of illegal recruitment 
and human trafficking. 
To address these concerns, the proposed measure aims to establish an integrated 
reintegration program for returnee-OFWs and mandates concerned government 
agencies, particularly the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Overseas 
Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Trade and Industry 
(DTI), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), and local government units (LGUs), to plan 
and implement  series of job fairs in strategic sites in the country where there is 
significant presence of returnee-OFWs for their possible employment in the private and 
public sectors, taking into consideration their specific skills, credentials, and experience 
acquired from working overseas.  
Financing or loan assistance will also be provided to aspiring returnee-OFWs, 
with the support of the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Budget and 
Management (DBM) and government financial institutions (GFIs) concerned, dedicated 
to facilitating the establishment, operation, and sustainability of enterprises and 
livelihood projects of returnee-OFWs, with minimal and affordable terms and 
conditions. Moreover, to support their entrepreneurial undertakings, relevant trainings 
and related capacity-building activities will be provided free of charge.  
Additionally, to further achieve the economic empowerment of OFW-owned 
enterprises and livelihood projects, this bill offers exemptions from income tax on the 
earnings of the ventures and from customs tax and duties in the importation of raw 
materials, capital equipment, machinery and spare parts exclusively for the use of the 
returnee-OFW-owned enterprise or livelihood project, as well as other tax incentives. 
Finally, the bill also seeks to provide returnee-OFWs with opportunities for 
community engagements and easier access to psychosocial and counseling services, and  
to healthcare and education. 
The State recognizes the significant contributions of our OFWs to the national 
economy through their foreign exchange remittances, which provide impetus to the 
nation’s economic growth and development. This bill not only brings flesh to the State’s 
response to its constitutional duty to promote the welfare of OFWs, especially in their 
strive for sustainable reintegration to society upon their return back home, but also 
allows returnee-OFWs to continuously contribute to the economy and society. 
For the foregoing reasons, the immediate approval of the bill is earnestly urged. 
HON. MARISSA ‘DEL MAR’ MAGSINO 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced  by : 
 HON. MARISSA ‘DEL MAR’ MAGSINO 
OFW PARTY LIST 
________________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR AN INTEGRATED REINTEGRATION  PROGRAM OVERSEAS 
FILIPINO WORKERS RETURNING TO THE PHILIPPINES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section  1. Short Title – This Act shall be known as the ‘Overseas Filipino Workers 
Integrated Reintegration Act’. 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy – The State recognizes the significant contributions of 
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to the national economy through their foreign 
exchange remittances, which provide impetus to the nation’s economic growth and 
development. In cognizance thereof, the State shall promote and implement measures in 
pursuit of sustainable reintegration of OFWs returning into Philippine society, 
particularly the accessibility of local employment and entrepreneurial and livelihood  
opportunities, development of financial literacy programs, and other similar projects, 
based   on the specific needs and skills of the returning OFWs, to enable them to attain 
economic self-sufficiency, social stability within their communities, and psychosocial 
well-being, consistent with the policy that migration decisions are a matter of choice 
than necessity. 
Section 3. Principle of Integrated and Sustainable Approach to Returnee-OFW 
Reintegration - This Act recognizes the need for an integrated approach to 
reintegration in addressing the economic, social, and psychosocial dimensions of 
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reintegration through multi-level and multi-sectoral programming involving concerned 
individuals and communities, and relevant private and public institutions. 
Section 4. Applicability – This Act shall apply to all returnee-OFWs regardless of 
typology and status, including land-based and sea-based OFWs, documented or 
undocumented, those voluntarily or mandatorily repatriated irrespective of grounds, 
and those returning to the country on retirement or upon termination of overseas 
employment contract. 
For purposes of this Act: 
a) Documented OFWs refers to those who possess valid passports and appropriate
visas and permits to stay and work in the receiving country and whose contracts
of employment have been processed by the Department of Migrant Workers
(DMW), or subsequently verified and registered on-site by the Migrant Workers
Office (MWO), when required; and
b) Undocumented OFWs are those who acquired their passports through fraud or
misrepresentation, or possess expired or valid but inappropriate visa or permits
to stay, or whose employment contracts were not processed by the Department
of Migrant Workers (DMW) nor subsequently verified and registered on-site by
the Migrant Workers Office (MWO), and those who have no travel document
whatsoever.
Section 5. Access to Local Employment Opportunities – The Department of Migrant 
Workers (DMW) together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), 
in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the 
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and in consultation with concerned business 
chambers and groups in the private sector, shall regularly plan and conduct series of job 
fairs in strategic sites in the country where there is significant presence of returnee-
OFWs for their possible employment in the private sector, taking into consideration 
their specific skills, credentials, and experience acquired from working overseas. 
Likewise, the DMW together with the OWWA, in coordination with the Civil 
Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government 
(DILG), shall regularly plan and conduct series of job fairs in strategic local government 
units (LGUs) in the country where there is significant presence of returnee-OFWs for 
their possible employment in the civil service in the national government and its 
instrumentalities, or in the local government, or for academic and non-academic 
positions in public schools and state colleges and universities (SUCs) in coordination 
with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED), taking into consideration their specific skills, credentials, eligibilities, and 
experience acquired from working overseas. 
Section 6.  Returnee-OFWs Management Information System – The DMW, together 
with OWWA, shall establish a database with information on the educational attainment, 
skill levels, and experience of all returning OFWs.  


This shall be utilized as a referral system to the private sector and government 
institutions for job matching and possible hiring, and/or skills upgrading. 
Section  7. Capacity-Building and Trainings on Entrepreneurship and Livelihood 
Management - The DMW together with the OWWA, in coordination with the DTI, the 
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other concerned 
government agencies, and in consultation with relevant business groups for prospective 
mentoring and industry-networking, shall provide pertinent trainings and related 
capacity-building activities to returnee-OFWs who are seeking to engage in 
entrepreneurial and other livelihood and income-generating activities, free of charge. 
The trainings shall primarily focus on, but not limited to the following relevant areas: 
a) Business/Enterprise conceptualization, including the conduct of feasibility
studies and piloting;
b) Business/Enterprise promotion and advertising strategies and activities;
c) Marketing and service/product delivery strategies;
d) Identification and sourcing of sustainable business financing; and
e) Information on and compliance with government regulatory and administrative
requirements on business establishment and operation, including taxation and
relevant labor laws.
Section  8. Dedicated Financing/Loan Programs – The DMW together with the 
OWWA, in coordination with the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of 
Budget and Management (DBM), and government financial institutions (GFIs), shall 
develop and provide financing or loan programs dedicated to facilitating the 
establishment, operation, sustainability, or later expansion, of enterprises and 
livelihood projects of returnee-OFWs with minimal and affordable terms and 
conditions: Provided, That the programs shall exclusively cater to returnee-OFWs with 
no existing enterprise or livelihood project, or if one is existing but dismally performing, 
the need for support to revitalize the undertaking is clearly established: Provided 
further, That those with existing enterprises that are robust shall be accommodated by 
DTI’s standing programs. 
Section  9. Tax Exemption and Other Incentives – A returnee-OFW-owned enterprise 
or livelihood project shall be exempt from the payment of income tax for a non-
extendible period of five (5) years from registration: Provided, That the exemption is 
without prejudice to any other tax benefit granted to the enterprise or livelihood project 
under existing laws.  
A returnee-OFW-owned enterprise or livelihood project may also avail of the 
following incentives for a non-extendible period of five (5) years from registration: 


a)
Fifty percent (50%) reduction on real property taxes imposed on real
property if actually used in the returnee-OFW-owned enterprise or
livelihood project;
b)
Tax and duty-free importation of raw materials, capital equipment,
machinery and spare parts exclusively for the use of the returnee-OFW-
owned enterprise or livelihood project; and
c)
Preferential access to financing from GFIs at preferred rates of interest and
other terms and conditions.
Section 10. Social Assistance Measures – The DMW, together with OWWA and the 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall include returnee-OFWs 
as beneficiaries in their social protection programs.  
The DMW shall likewise encourage community engagements for returnees-OFWs 
and their families led by its regional offices.   
Section 11. Psychosocial and Counselling – The DMW, together with OWWA and the 
Department of Health (DOH), shall facilitate psychosocial support and reintegration 
counselling for returnee-OFW and their families. 
Section 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations – The DMW together with OWWA, in 
coordination with DTI, DILG, DOLE, DOF, DBM, DepEd, TESDA, CHED, DSWD, and DOH, 
and in consultation with other concerned government agencies and relevant 
stakeholders, shall promulgate the rules and regulation necessary for the effective 
implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
Section 13. Appropriations – The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
Act shall be charged against those authorized in the current and subsequent General 
Appropriations Act. 
Section  14. Separability Clause – If for any reason, any section, clause, or term of this 
Act is held to be illegal, invalid, or unconstitutional, such parts not affected by such 
declaration shall remain in full force and effect.  
Section 15. Repealing Clause – All laws, presidential decrees, issuances, executive 
orders, letters of instruction, rules, and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.  
Section 16. Effectivity Clause -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,