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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
) 
7 JliL -4 4 8 :yj 
First Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E  
S.B. ~ 0 . 9 3 8  
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to create a hospital dedicated to overseas Filipino workers and 
their dependents. 
Section 3, Article XI11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the State 
shall afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorgadzed, and 
promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all. Pursuant 
to this, Republic Act No. 8042 otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas 
Filipinos Act of 1995 was enacted to implement this State policy. 
Data from the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics reveal that as of year- 
end 2006, there were 1,062,587 Filipinos deployed for overseas employment, generating 
US$12,761,307 worth of remittances and therefore contributing 10% to the country's 
gross national product for the same year. 
Due to differing culture, working conditions and upper-hand nature of overseas 
employers characterizing overseas employment, overseas Filipino workers often find 
themselves vulnerable to abuse, discrimination and exploitation. Some of them come 
home with poor health conditions that needs immediate attention. Based on statistics, 
about 42% of all repatriated OFWs returned to the Philippines needing medical 
attention or hospital confinement for various physical or mental illnesses sustained 
abroad. 
This bill seeks to address the health needs of overseas Filipino workers by 
creating a hospital that exclusively caters to them. This proposed measure also aims to 
complement the present package of health services provided by OWWA so as to 
include supplementary provisions for preventive promotive, diagnostic and 
rehabilitative programs so that a comprehensive/ total health care for OFWs and their 
dependents can be had. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LOREN LEGARDA 
Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
First Regular Session 
) 
OF THE PHILIPHPINES 
) 
qY 
Jlll. - 4  9 9 :i;5 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL HOSPITAL FOR OVERSEAS CONTRACT WORKERS 
(OCWS) AND THEIR DEPENDENTS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFORE 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congess assembled: 
SECTION 1. 
Title. - This Act shall be known as the OWWA LITGRANT 
WORKERS HOSPITAL ACT OF 2007. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the uolicy of the State to adopt an 
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to 
make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at 
affordable cost. 
Further, the State shall afford full protection to labor, local and 
overseas. Towards this end, the State shall protect the interest and promote the well- 
being of Filipino overseas contract workers including their families and dependents 
through the provision of social and welfare services. 
SECTION 3. 
Cveation of a Special Hospital. - To carry-out the above policy, a 
migrant workers' hospital to be named as the OWWA MIGRANT WORKERS 
HOSPITAL is hereby created under the supervision and control of the Overseas 
Workers Welfare Administyation. 
SECTION 4. 
, Objectives. - To ensure the availability, accessibility and 
affordability of quality health care, the OWWA MIGRANT WORKERS HOSPITAL 
shall: 
a) Provide for comprehensive/totaI health care services to all migrant workers 
who are OWWA contributors and their legal dependents; 
b) Complement the existing package of services under the Medical Care 
Program so as to include preventive, promotive, diagnostic, curative and 
rehabilitative programs; 
c) Conduct medical examination to ensure the physical and mental capability of 
all the would-be overseas contract workers duly covered by an approved job 
order; 
d) Set-up a system that will effectively monitor the condition of patients and to 
generate relevant information/ data in aid of policy formulation. 


SECTION 5. 
Adrhnistrai5on. - Upon effectivity of this Act, the OWWA 
MIGRANT WORKERS HOSPITAL shall be administered by a Board of Directors 
consisting of: 
The Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment ...... Ex- 
Officio Chairman 
The Administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 
The Secretary of the Department of Health .................. Ex-Officio 
Member 
The Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 
e) 
The 
Administrator 
of 
the Philippine 
Overseas Employment 
Administration ................ Ex-Officio Member 
Two (2) representatives from OCWs Sector (one (1) from land based; 
one (1) from sea based) 
a) 
Ex-Officio Vice Chairman 
b) 
........ 
c) 
Ex-Officio member 
d) 
.............. 
Members 
f ) 
................ 
The two (2) representatives from the OCWs Sector shall be appointed by the 
President of the Republic of the Philippines from a list of nominees prepared by the Ex- 
Officio Chairman to serve ior a term of three (3) years without reappointment. 
SECTION 6. Responsibility and Pozuers. - The Board of Directors of the OWWA 
MIGRANT WORKERS HOSPITAL shall have the following responsibilities and 
powers: 
a) 
To formulate and implement measures and programs to attain the 
OWWA MIGRANT WORKERS HOSPITAL'S objectives and purposes 
as enunciated in Section 4 of this Act; 
To enter into agreements and contracts in connection with its 
establishment, maintenance, operations and objectives; 
To issue rules and regulations to carry out the objectives and purposes 
of this Act; 
To perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by 
law. 
b) 
4 
d) 
SECTION 7. Appropriation. - An amount necessary for the establishment, initial 
operations of the OWWA MIGRANT WORKERS HOSPITAL shall be taken out from 
the funds of the Medical Care Program for Overseas Contract Workers and the 
Overseas Workers Welfare' Administration. 
Subsequently, its appropriation shall be 
included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is' declared i ~ a l i d ,  
the 
remainder of this Act or any provision ,not 'affected thereby shall remain in force and 
effect. 
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and 
their implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved