NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 1415
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fficp of tl)f ^L’trfiiirp
*22 OCT 25 P2 28
RECEIVED BY;
Introduced by Senator MARK A, VILLAR
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR AN ASSISTANCE FUND FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINO 
WORKERS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIII, Section 3, provides that:
The State shall afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and 
unorganized, and promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities 
for all.
Moreover, under Article II, Section 18, to wit:
The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the 
rights of workers and promote their welfare.
Meanwhile, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10022 
defined "Overseas Filipino in distress" as an Overseas Filipino who has a medical, 
psychosocial assistance problem requiring treatment, hospitalization, counselling, 
legal representation or any other kind of intervention with the authorities in the 
country where he or she is found.
The latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report1 states that the number 
of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) working abroad from April to September 2020
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2022, March 7). Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://psa.gov.ph/content/2020-overseas- 
filipino-workers-final-results


was estimated at 1.77 Million while Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) comprised 
96.4 percent or equivalent to 1.71 Million of the total OFWs during the same period. 
Other OFWs who worked abroad without working visa or work permits such as 
tourist, visitor, student, medical, and other types of non-immigrant visas but were 
presently employed and working full time in other countries had 3.6 percent share.
Recently, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia, in an interview2 lamented that 
their agency receives an average of 6,000 repatriation requests every year for 
reason of contract violations, physical, psychological, and verbal violence. However, 
from 2021 to date, thousands are requesting repatriation by reason of "end of 
contract", stressing that some have nowhere to go, especially because of travel 
restrictions in the past two years.
The fact that the Overseas Filipino workers in distress and the very existence 
of Overseas Filipino victims of violence have been increasing over the years is very 
alarming. Yet, we cannot guarantee when will this problem cease. This is the reason 
why a law that primarily sets an automatic appropriation for a Special Assistance 
Fund for distressed Overseas Filipino Workers, separate and distinct from the 
expenditure program of the newly instituted Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), 
is needed to provide an extra layer of protection and redress to our modern-day 
heroes.
I could not stress enough the sacrifices of our modern-day heroes in order to 
uplift the lives of their families in the same manner that they escalate our economy 
through remittances. With this in mind, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
MARK A. VILLAR
! Pefia, K. D. (2022, September 17). /As OFWs' SOS calls mount, 24/7 help line activated, promise of better PH Jobs awaited. 
INQUIRER.net. Retrieved Octobers, 2022, from https;//newsinfo.inquirer.net/1665529/as-ofws-sos-calls-mount-24-7- 
help-line-activated-promise-of-better-ph-jobs-awaited


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 1415
of t!)f
*22 OCT 25 P2 28
RECEIVED Bif;
Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR AN ASSISTANCE FUND FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINO 
WORKERS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This act shall be known as the “Overseas Filipino
2 
Workers in Distress Act of 2022.”
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Consistent with the State’s policy of according
4 
full protection to labor, whether local or overseas. It shall be the State’s duty to provide
5 
a layer of protection to the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are forced to seek
6 
employment abroad in order to provide for their respective families. The State has the
7 
duty to provide protection to the OFWs without distinction, covering both documented
8 
and undocumented Filipino workers.
9 
Further, Section 29, Article VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that
10 
no money shall be paid by the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made
11 
by law.
12 
Sec. 3. Creation of Fund. - A Special Assistance Fund, in the form of an
13 
automatic appropriation, for Overseas Filipino Workers in Distress, in the amount of
14 
Five Hundred Million Pesos (P500,000,000.00) is hereby created. The fund shall be
15 
utilized for the following purposes:
16
(a) Repatriation


1 
(b) Medical expenses, hospitalization, and purchase of medicine in the form of
2 
vouchers for six (6) months from arrival;
3 
(c) Migration fees for overstaying Filipinos:
4 
(d) Basic necessities of OFWs caught in emergencies or are detained.
5 
Provided, that at least thirty (30%) of the total fund shall be allotted to
6 
provide monetary support, in the form of a lump sum payment not in excess of Fifty
7 
Thousand Pesos (Php 50,000.00) for each recipient, to be given to overseas workers
8 
who have been the victims of abuse from their employers, or those who have been
9 
repatriated from host countries due to natural or man-made calamities.
10 
Sec. 4. Transparency. - In the utilization of the Fund, the principles of
11 
accountability and transparency must be fully observed. As such, every Filipino citizen
12 
has a right to, and shall, on request, be given access to any information pertinent to
13 
this law, when such information is under the control or in the possession of any
14 
government agency involved in the implementation of this law. Government agencies
15 
involved in the implementation of this law shall maintain appropriate records of their
16 
actions under this law, particularly with regard to the disbursements of funds and the
17 
identity of recipients.
18 
Sec. 5. Implementing Agencies and Rules. - The Overseas Workers
19 
Welfare Administration (OWWA) is hereby tasked to implement this Act, and shall
20 
coordinate with and be supported by the Department of Labor and Employment, and
21 
the Department of Foreign Affairs. The abovementioned agencies, in consultation with
22 
the Department of Budget and Management and representatives of the private sector,
23 
and recognized overseas labor organizations, shall issue the necessary implementing
24 
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days
25 
after its effectivity.
26 
Sec. 6. Appropriations. - The fund needed to initially implement the
27 
provisions of this Act must be sourced primarily from the General Appropriations Act.
28 
This law shall be in the form of an automatic appropriations that shall be programmed
29 
annually, without regard to the budget proposal or approved appropriations of the
30 
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
31 
Sec. 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
32 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other
33 
provisions hereof.


1 
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
2 
presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the
3 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
4 
Sec. 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from
5 
its publication in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) national newspapers of general
6 
circulation.
Approved.