Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
____________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT PENALIZING CERTAIN ACTS IN THE IMPOSITION OF EXCESSIVE 
PLACEMENT FEES AGAINST OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
As stated in the guidelines issued by the DMW, a placement fee that may be charged 
against an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) should only be equivalent to one month’s 
basic salary specified in the POEA-approved contract. However, Filipinos are still 
being cheated by recruitment agencies and loan companies. Aspiring Filipinos are 
pressured into paying illegal recruiting fees and taking out loans with interest rates 
often exceeding 130 percent. 
This bill seeks to prohibit collecting placement fees above the standards set. To further 
protect our OFWs, this bill also seeks to prohibit collecting placement fees in advance 
of offered job’s availability. Penalties of imprisonment and/or fine shall be imposed 
under this proposed measure for those who will be caught committing the prohibited 
acts enumerated under this measure. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good 
of the Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
August 16, 2023
10:20 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
______________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT PENALIZING CERTAIN ACTS IN THE IMPOSITION OF EXCESSIVE 
PLACEMENT FEES AGAINST OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS 
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 “Fair Placement Fees for 
OFWs Act.” 
SEC. 2. Prohibited Acts. – The following acts committed by any person involving 
and relating to the imposition of placement fees against Overseas Filipino Workers 
(OFW), are hereby prohibited: 
(a) Collecting placement fee above the legitimate placement fee fixed and
determined by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) without prejudice to Section 
5 hereof; 
(b) Collecting placement fee in advance of the job’s availability overseas;
(c) Not issuing the appropriate receipts for any placement fee collected;
(d) Not returning any placement fee collected when deployment does not
materialize; 
(e) Forcing an OFW to issue post-dated checks to guarantee payment of any
placement fee; and 
(f) Forcing an OFW to borrow money from designated persons or lending
institutions. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, placement fee shall refer to 
the amount charged by a Private Recruitment and Placement Agency (PRPA) or any 
person from a recruit as payment for placement services which shall not exceed the 
equivalent of one (1) month salary of the job for which an OFW has been recruited. 
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SEC. 4. Penalties. – Commission of any of the following acts in the immediately 
preceding Section shall be punished by six (6) years imprisonment or a find of One 
Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 100,000.00) to Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 
500,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court. 
 
The penalties herein provided shall be treated as separate and distinct from any 
liability arising from the same punishable acts in Section 1 hereof. 
 
If any of the acts in Section 1 is committed by a corporation, its officers and 
directors shall be made liable in the same manner as the employee or person related 
in any capacity to the corporation who actually committed the same. 
 
Moreover, if any of the acts is committed by a licenses recruitment agency, its 
agent or representative, such agency’s license shall be automatically revoked with 
finality and no longer eligible for reinstatement. 
 
SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within thirty (30) days after 
the approval of this Act, the DMW shall, in consultation with appropriate government 
agencies and stakeholder representatives, shall issue the necessary rules and 
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 6. Separability Clause. – If any portion of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the portions or provisions which are not affected shall 
continue to be in full force and effect.  
 
SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive issuances, rules and 
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly.  
 
SEC 8. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at 
least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,