HOUSE *F RPh Sha, ATIVES:

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) ROO. e)
OF THE PHILIPPINES ) fi AUG 2016
ATE:

First Regular Session ) Tin Eis

PEISTRA

HOUSE BILL No. 2813

Introduced by ANGKLA Party-list Representative JE!

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The number of our Filipinos who choose to work abroad as Overseas Filipino
workers, whether sea-based or land based is quickly growing. While our migrant
workers choose to earn their living in foreign lands to ensure the support and
sustenance of their families, both these bread winners and the families they leave
behind endure the difficulties of living distantly from each other.

With the OFWs forced to leave apart from their families, the immediate
possible adverse effect is the weakening of family ties. This can also result to other
effects whereby the families of the OFWs do not feel psychologically, socially, and
emotionally supported. As a way of recompense to these difficulties faced by the
families of our sea-based and land based OFWs, this bill seeks to require all heads of
Local Government Units to create or establish an OFW Family Help Desks in their
respective offices. The primordial purpose of the OFW Family Help Desks is to
strengthen and enhance the protection by the government of the families of OFWs
who get deprived of pillars of their families when the OFWs leave for abroad to
work.

seel

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is most respectfully requested.

list Representative
LA


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC)
OF THE PHILIPPINES )

First Regular Session )

HOUSE BILL No.2813

list Representative JESULITO A. MANALO

AN ACT REQUIRING ALL HEADS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS TO
ESTABLISH “OFW FAMILY HELP DESKS” IN THEIR OFFICES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SEC. 1. Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the “OFW Family Help Desks
Act of 2016.”

SEC. 2. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW),
whether land-based or sea-based, documented or undocumented, including their
families in the Philippines.

SEC. 3. Declaration of Policy. - This Act is in furtherance of the State Policies
provisions of the Constitution, to wit:

\. Section 12, Article 11: “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and
shall protect. and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social
institution, It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of unborn
from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the
rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral
character shall receive the support of the Government.”;

B. Section 1, Article XV: “The State recognizes the Filipino family as the
foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and
actively promote its total development.”;

C. Section 3, Article XV: “The State shall defend:

(1) The right of spouses to found a family in accordance with their
religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood;


(2) The right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition,
and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and
other conditions prejudicial to their development;

(3) The right of the family to a family living wage and income; and

(4) The right of families or family associations to participate in the planning and
implementation of policies and programs that affect them.”

This Act is also in pursuance of Article 149 of the Family Code which says that,
“The family, being the foundation of the nation, is a basic social institution which
public policy cherishes and protects.”

SEC. 4. Ten (10) Million Weakened Families. - The Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) estimate the total
number of OFWs as having reached ten (10) million and almost all of them are heads
of families and breadwinners.

When millions of heads of families and/or breadwinners leave to work
overseas, millions of Filipino families in the homefront are left without the essential
pillars of their homes which expose them to certain vulnerabilities such as to the
drug menace; to abuses such as bullying in schools and in the neighborhood and the
like.

SEC. 5. The Role of Governors and Mayors. - Provincial Governors, City and
Municipal Mayors are traditionally known as the “Ama” or “Ina” of their respective
local government units and must perforce fill the gap in protecting and overseeing,
the welfare of weakened OFW Families in their areas of responsibilities.

SEC. 6. Creation of OFW Family Help Desks. - All Provincial Governors,
City and Municipal Mayors are hereby required to create or establish OFW Family
Help Desks in their offices to attend to, provide assistance and to addr
or problems of Overseas Filipino Workers and their families including counseling on
business and livelihood opportunities, who are residing in the local government
unit's territorial jurisdiction.

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All local government units (LGUs), in partnership with the DFA, POEA,
OWWA, other concerned government agencies, advocating the rights and welfare of
overseas Filipino workers, shall also take a proactive stance in the dissemination of
information to their constituents on all aspects of overseas employment. Such help
desks shall be linked to the database of all concerned government agencies
particularly the POEA and the OWWA for its updated lists of overseas job orders
and licensed recruitment agencies in good standing.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of the
Department of Interior and Local Government is hereby tasked to implement this
Act and shall, in consultation with the local government units, the Philippine


Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration (OWWA), other concerned government agencies, formulate the
necessary implementing rules and regulations to effectively implement the
provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days after its effectivity.

SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances,
rules and regulations which may be inconsistent with any of the provisions of this
Act, are hereby deemed repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,