SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
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DEC 14 
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SENATE
1282
R£C£lVcD jJY;
S. B. NO
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL HOSPITAL FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS 
(OFWS) AND THEIR DEPENDENTS TO BE KNOWN AS BAGONG BAYANING 
FILIPINO HOSPITAL, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The nation recognizes the importance of overseas Filipino workers, our 
bagong bayani. Migrant workers help improve the lives not only of their recipient 
families but also the national economy. Their personal remittances strengthened the 
account position of the country, enlarged the middle class and spawned micro­
enterprises in the countryside.
Overseas workers who worked abroad at anytime during the period April 1 to 
September 30, 2015 was estimated at 2.4 million according to the 2015 Survey on 
Overseas Filipinos (SOF). The total cash remittances sent by OFWs during this 
period was estimated at 180.3 billion pesos. In spite of the growing number of 
migrant workers and the steady stream of remittance flows, social services, 
especially health care, remain out of reach for them and their dependents.
Other than the expansion of skills training and education benefits and on-site 
services, the government should also expand its medical assistance program for 
OFWs who are at risk of diseases and dreaded illnesses while on their job abroad. In 
fact, four out of ten repatriated OFWs need medical attention or hospital 
confinement. Many of them suffer from heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, cancer, 
kidney ailments and other illnesses requiring medical procedures and preventive and 
longtime care. Regrettably, the existing package of services under the Medical Care 
Program for OFWs and their dependents is limited to curative medical services.


In this regard, this bill seeks to establish a special hospital for overseas 
Filipino workers (OFWS) to be known as the Bagong Bayaning Filipino Hospital, to 
offer preventive, promotive, diagnostic, and rehabilitative programs that will 
complement the existing medical care program for OFWs and their dependents. 
Furthermore, this bill aims to establish OFW wards in regional hospitals as the facility 
for the hospitalization and medical care of OFWs and their dependents residing 
outside the National Capital Region.
As bagong bayani, our OFWs deserve more benefits, especially, access to a 
complete and quality health care. The State policy to provide social services and 
adequate health care to OFWs rightly justifies a stronger thrust towards the 
establishment of a Bagong Bayaning Filipino Hospital in the country.
The passage of this bill is earnestly requested.
SENATOR^OEL VILLANUEVA


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
Senate
(Sffitr e( il)r >S»rtrrfflrj>
*16 
OEC M  
AH :23
SENATE 
S. B. no.1282
RtaivtD I t
Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL HOSPITAL FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS 
(OFWS) AND THEIR DEPENDENTS TO BE KNOWN AS BAGONG BAYANING 
FILIPINO HOSPITAL, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled:
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SECTION 1. 
Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Bagong Bayaning 
Filipino Hospital Act. ’’
SEC. 
2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby the policy 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 
the people at affordable cost. Hence, the state shall protect the right to health and 
promote and enhance the welfare and well-being of overseas Filipino workers and 
their dependents through the provision of personal health care and social welfare 
services.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. -  As used in this Act, the following terms shall be 
defined to mean as:
a. “ Overseas Filipino Workei3' shall refer to a person who is to be engaged, is 
engaged, or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a state of which 
he or she is not a legal resident. A person “to be engaged in a remunerated 
activity” refers to an applicant worker who has been promised or assured 
employment overseas and acting on such promise or assurance sustains 
damage and/or injury.


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b. "Dependents” shall refer to the following: (1) the legal spouse entitled by law 
to receive support from the overseas Filipino worker; (2) the legitimate, 
legitimated, or legally adopted, and illegitimate child who is unmarried, not 
gainfully employed, and has not reached twenty-one (21) years of age, or if 
over twenty-one (21) years of age, he is congenitally incapacitated or while 
still a minor has been permanently incapacitated and incapable of self- 
support, physically or mentally; and (3) the parents who are receiving regular 
support from the overseas Filipino worker.
SEC. 4. Creation of Special Hospital for Overseas Filipino Workers and their 
Dependents. - To carry out the above policy, there is hereby created a special 
hospital for overseas Filipino workers to be known as Bagong Bayaning Filipino 
Flospital in the National Capital Region, which shall be the primary medical facility for 
the hospitalization, confinement, medical treatment and medical care of overseas 
Filipino workers and their dependents. The said hospital shall be under the 
supervision and control of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Furthermore, each regional hospital shall establish an overseas Filipino workers’ 
Ward as the facility for the hospitalization and medical care of overseas Filipino 
workers and their dependents residing outside the National Capital Region, with an 
initial capacity of at least fifty (50) beds.
The hospitalization, confinement, medical treatment and medical care of overseas 
Filipino workers and their dependents at the Overseas Filipino Workers’ Hospital and 
wards shall be free of whatever charges.
SEC. 5. 
Objective. 
To ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of 
quality health care, the Bagong Bayaning Filipino Hospital shall;
a. Provide for a comprehensive health care services to all overseas Filipino 
workers who are Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) 
contributors, including their dependents;
b. Complement the existing package of medical and health care services and 
benefits to OFWs so as to include preventive, promotive, diagnostic, curative 
and rehabilitative programs;
c. Conduct medical examination procedures to ensure the physical, emotional 
and mental fitness of all workers duly covered by an approved job order 
abroad; and
d. Set-up a system that will effectively monitor the condition of patients and to 
generate relevant information and data in aid of policy formulation.


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SEC. 6. Administration and Composition of Board Members.
a. Upon the effectivity of this Act, the powers and the administration of the 
Bagong Bayaning Filipino Hospital shall be vested in a Board, which is 
composed of the following members:
1. The Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment as ex- 
officio Chairperson;
2. The Secretary of the Department of Health as ex-officio Vice- 
Chairperson;
3. The Administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration as 
ex-officio Member;
4. The 
Administrator 
of 
the 
Philippine 
Overseas 
Employment 
Administration as ex-officio Member;
5. The Administrator of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) as ex- 
officio Member;
6. The Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 
as ex-officio Member;
7. Four (4) Representatives from the overseas Filipino workers sector: 
one (1) from National Capital Region; one (1) from Luzon; one (1) from 
Visayas; and one (1) from Mindanao as Members.
b. Appointment and Tenure -  The President of the Republic of the Philippines 
shall appoint the members of the Board from a list of nominees prepared by 
the ex-officio Chairperson in consultation with the Party-List group 
representing the aforesaid sector where the four (4) representatives are 
former overseas Filipino workers for a term of three (3) years without 
reappointment. Except for members whose terms shall be co-terminus with 
their respective positions in government, any vacancy in the Board shall be 
filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made and the 
appointee shall serve only the unexpired term of his predecessor.
c. Meetings and Quorum -  The Board shall hold regular meetings at least once 
a month. Special meetings may be convened at the call of the Chairperson or 
by a majority of the members of the Board. The presence of five (5) voting 
members shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of the Chairman and Vice- 
Chairman, a temporary presiding officer shall be designated by the majority of 
the quorum.
d. Allowances and Per Diems -  The members of the Board shall receive a per 
diem for every meeting actually attended subject to the pertinent budgetary 
laws, rules and regulations on compensation, honoraria and allowances.


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SEC. 7. Responsibilities and Powers. The Board of Directors of the Bagong 
Bayaning Filipino Hospital shall have the follo\A/ing responsibilities and powers:
a. To formulate and implement measures and programs to attain the Bagong 
Bayaning Filipino Hospital’s objectives and purposes as enumerated in 
Section 4 of this Act;
b. To formulate and promulgate policies for the sound administration, 
maintenance, and operations of the Hospital;
c. To organize the structure of the Hospital in accordance with a staffing pattern 
prepared by it and approved by the Department of Budget and Management;
d. To appoint the officials, employees and other personnel of the Hospital, 
subject to civil service laws, rules and regulations, and to prescribe their 
duties and fix their compensation subject to the provisions of Republic Act No. 
6758, otherwise known as the Salary Standardization Law;
e. To enter into agreements and contracts in connection with its establishment, 
maintenance, operations and objectives;
f. To formulate and implement guidelines on the proper disposition of 
contributions, donations, bequests, subsidies or financial aids/assistance 
received by the Hospital;
g. To perform such other duties and functions as it may deem appropriate for the 
attainment of the objectives of the Hospital and for the proper enforcement of 
the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Board shall adopt rules and 
regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days from the 
date of its approval.
SEC. 9. 
Appropriations. 
In addition to the seed money held in trust by the 
OWWA, 
there 
is 
hereby 
appropriated 
the 
sum 
of 
One 
Billion 
Pesos 
(Php1,000,000,000.00) to fund the initial budgetary requirements of this Act. 
Thereafter, its appropriation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
Act (GAA).
SEC. 10. 
Assistance from Government Offices, etc. The Bagong Bayaning 
Filipino Hospital may call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or 
instrumentality of the Government, including government owned or controlled 
corporations, for such assistance as it may need in the pursuit of its purposes and 
objectives.
SEC. 11. Exemption from Donor’s Taxes, Customs and Tariff Duties. - All 
donations, contributions or endowments which may be made by persons or entities 
to the hospital and the importation of medical equipment and machineries, spare


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parts and other medical equipment not hereto mentioned used solely and exclusively 
for the Bagong Bayaning Filipino Hospital shall be exempt from income gift, direct 
and indirect taxes, wharfage fees and other charges and restrictions.
SEC. 12. Annual Report. - The Bagong Bayaning Filipino Hospital shall render to 
the President of the Republic of the Philippines, to the Senate and to the House of 
Representatives an annual accomplishment report.
SEC. 13. 
Congressional Oversight Committee. - A Congressional Oversight 
Committee, herein after referred to as the “Committee”, is hereby constituted in 
accordance with the provisions of this Act. The Committee shall be composed of the 
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources 
Development and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on 
Overseas Workers Affairs and four (4) additional members from each House to be 
designated by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives respectively.
The committee shall, among others, in aid of legislation;
a. Monitor and ensure the proper implementation of this Act;
b. Review the performance of the hospital; and
c. Review the proper implementation of the programs of the Hospital and the 
use of its fund.
In furthermore of the herein above cited objectives, the Committee is empowered to 
require the hospital to submit all pertinent information including but not limited to its 
performance data and its annual audited financial statement certified by the 
Commission on Audit.
SEC. 14. 
Repealing Clause. 
All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations or part thereof deemed inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 15. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of 
general circulation.
Approved,