1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Republic of the Philippines  
6 
House of Representatives 
7 
Quezon City 
8 
9 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
10 
11 
First Regular Session 
12 
13 
House Bill No. __________ 
14 
15 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
16 
Introduced by Representative Jernie Jett V. Nisay 
17 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
18 
19 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
20 
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are hailed as modern-day heroes, yet many 
21 
continue to face legal challenges, abuse, and unfair treatment abroad. When they encounter 
22 
legal troubles, whether due to abusive employers, unjust accusations, or unforeseen 
23 
circumstances, they often lack the immediate legal and financial assistance needed to defend 
24 
their rights. 
25 
This bill seeks to expand the use of the Legal Assistance Fund and the Agarang Kalinga 
26 
at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund to ensure timely, 
27 
accessible, and comprehensive legal aid for all overseas Filipinos, not just migrant workers. It 
28 
mandates that these funds be readily available from the start of any legal process including 
29 
investigation, detention, or trial and up to the final resolution of the case. It also exempts urgent 
30 
legal expenditures from lengthy procurement procedures, ensuring faster response when our 
31 
overseas kababayans are in distress. 
32 
By strengthening these mechanisms, this measure reaffirms the government’s duty to 
33 
protect the rights, welfare, and dignity of Filipinos abroad, whether they are workers, 
34 
professionals, or ordinary citizens facing legal challenges. 
35 
In view of the foregoing, the swift passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
36 
37 
38 
39 
  REP. JERNIE JETT V. NISAY 
40 
  Pusong Pinoy Partylist 
41 
September 10, 2025
3:58 pm
4510


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
Republic of the Philippines 
7 
House of Representatives 
8 
Quezon City 
9 
10 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
11 
12 
First Regular Session 
13 
14 
House Bill No. __________ 
15 
16 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
17 
Introduced by Representative Jernie Jett V. Nisay 
18 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
19 
20 
AN ACT 
21 
EXPANDING THE USE OF THE LEGAL ASSISTANCE FUND AND THE AGARANG 
22 
KALINGA AT SAKLOLO PARA SA MGA OFWS NA NANGANGAILANGAN 
23 
(AKSYON) FUND, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 26 OF REPUBLIC 
24 
ACT NO. 8042, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "MIGRANT WORKERS AND 
25 
OVERSEAS FILIPINOS ACT OF 1995," AS AMENDED, AND SECTION 14 OF 
26 
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11641, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "DEPARTMENT OF 
27 
MIGRANT WORKERS ACT" 
28 
29 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
30 
Congress assembled: 
31 
32 
SECTION 1. Section 26 of Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as the 
33 
"Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995," as amended, is hereby further 
34 
amended to read as follows: 
35 
36 
"SEC. 26. Uses of the Legal Assistance Fund. - The Legal Assistance Fund 
37 
created under the preceding section, WHICH HAS BEEN RETAINED BY THE 
38 
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA) PURSUANT TO SECTION 14 OF 
39 
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11641, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "DEPARTMENT OF 
40 
MIGRANT WORKERS ACT", shall be used [exclusively] to provide legal AND 
41 
CONSULAR ASSISTANCE services to [migrant workers and] OTHER overseas 
42 
Filipinos [in distress] in accordance with the guidelines, criteria and procedures TO BE 
43 
promulgated BY THE DFA [in accordance with Section 24 (a) hereof]. The expenditures 
44 
to be charged against the LEGAL ASSISTANCE Fund shall include the fees for the 
45 
foreign lawyers to be hired [by the Legal Assistant for Migrant Workers Affairs] to 
46 
4510


 
represent [migrant workers] OVERSEAS FILIPINOS facing charges, EXPENSES FOR 
1 
THE [or in] filing OF LABOR AND/OR CRIMINAL cases against erring or abusive 
2 
employers OR OTHER PERSONS abroad, bail bonds to secure the temporary releases 
3 
and other litigation expenses: PROVIDED, THAT THE LEGAL ASSISTANCE FUND 
4 
SHALL, AT ALL TIMES, BE MADE AVAILABLE FROM THE TIME OF THE 
5 
INVESTIGATION, DETENTION, ARREST OR INDICTMENT OF THE OVERSEAS 
6 
FILIPINOS ALL THE WAY TO THE TRIAL PROPER, AND AT ALL LEVELS OF 
7 
APPEAL THEREAFTER: Provided, FURTHER, That at the end of every year, the 
8 
Department of Foreign Affairs shall include in its report to Congress, as provided for 
9 
under Section 33 of this Act, the status of the Legal Assistance Fund, including the 
10 
expenditures from the said fund duly audited by the Commission on Audit (COA): 
11 
Provided, furtherMORE, That the hiring of foreign legal counsels AND OTHER 
12 
RELEASES OF FUNDS FOR OTHER EXPENSES RELATED TO THE PROVISIONS 
13 
OF THIS SECTION, when circumstances warrant urgent action, shall be exempt from 
14 
the coverage of Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Act. 
15 
 
16 
THE ABOVEMENTIONED PROVISION SHALL SIMILARLY APPLY TO THE 
17 
UTILIZATION OF THE AGARANG KALINGA AT SAKLOLO PARA SA MGA OFWS 
18 
NA NANGANGAILANGAN (AKSYON) FUND BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MIGRANT 
19 
WORKERS FOR CASES REQUIRING LEGAL ASSISTANCE, IN ACCORDANCE 
20 
WITH REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11641. 
21 
 
22 
 
IN COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES WHERE THERE ARE NO MIGRANT 
23 
WORKERS OFFICES YET, THE DFA SHALL EXTEND LEGAL AND OTHER FORMS 
24 
OF ASSISTANCE TO OFWS LOCATED IN SAID AREAS." 
25 
 
26 
 
SEC. 2. Section 14 of Republic Act No. 11641, otherwise known as the 
27 
"Department of Migrant Workers Act," is hereby amended to read as follows: 
28 
 
29 
 
"SEC. 14. Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na 
30 
 
31 
 
Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund. - The Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa 
32 
mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund is hereby established to provide 
33 
legal and other forms of assistance to OFs, separate from the funds managed by the 
34 


 
DFA. The DFA shall retain ATN and Legal Assistance Funds for the benefit of other 
1 
Filipinos overseas and for consular assistance services. An appropriate amount shall 
2 
initially be provided for the AKSYON Fund in the General Appropriations Act of the year 
3 
following its enactment into law and an appropriate amount for every year thereafter to 
4 
provide assistance to OFWs at Foreign Service Posts where MWO have been 
5 
established and staffed. 
6 
 
7 
 
"THE EXPENDITURES TO BE CHARGED AGAINST TH AKSYON FUND 
8 
SHALL INCLUDE THE FEES FOR THE FOREIGN LAWYERS TO BE HIRED TO 
9 
REPRESENT OF WS FACING CHARGES, EXPENSES FOR THE FILING OF LABOR 
10 
AND/OR CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST ERRING OR ABUSIVE EMPLOYERS OR 
11 
OTHER PERSONS ABROAD, BAIL BONDS TO SECURE THE TEMPORARY 
12 
RELEASES AND OTHER LITIGATION EXPENSES: PROVIDED, THAT THE 
13 
AKSYON FUND SHALL, AT ALL TIMES, BE MADE AVAILABLE FROM THE TIME 
14 
OF THE INVESTIGATION, DETENTION, ARREST OR INDICTMENT OF THE OFWS 
15 
ALL THE WAY TO THE TRIAL PROPER, AND AT ALL LEVELS OF APPEAL 
16 
THEREAFTER: PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR, THE 
17 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
MIGRANT 
WORKERS 
SHALL 
REPORT 
TO 
THE 
18 
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CREATED UNDER SECTION 25 OF 
19 
THIS ACT THE STATUS OF THE AKSYON FUND, INCLUDING THE 
20 
EXPENDITURES FROM THE SAID FUND DULY AUDITED BY THE COMMISSION 
21 
ON AUDIT (COA): PROVIDED, FURTHERMORE, THAT THE HIRING OF FOREIGN 
22 
LEGAL COUNSELS AND OTHER RELEASES OF FUNDS FOR OTHER EXPENSES 
23 
RELATED TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES 
24 
WARRANT URGENT ACTION, SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE COVERAGE OF 
25 
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9184 OR THE GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT REFORM 
26 
ACT. 
27 
 
28 
 
Within thirty (30) days from the promulgation of this Act, the Secretary, in 
29 
consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall issue the necessary guidelines regarding 
30 
the use of the AKSYON Fund. 
31 
 
32 
 
A sufficient sum shall be appropriated to the DFA to perform functions of the 
33 
MWO in Foreign Service Posts where there is yet no such office." 
34 


 
 
1 
 
SEC. 3. The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant 
2 
Workers shall, in consultation with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and 
3 
other stakeholders, within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act, formulate the 
4 
necessary rules and regulations for its effective implementation. 
5 
 
6 
 
SEC. 4. All laws, presidential decrees, orders, issuances, rules and regulations 
7 
or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
8 
amended or modified accordingly. 
9 
 
10 
 
SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
11 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
12 
 
13 
 
Approved, 
14