FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 149 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there are over eight million 
migrant workers and overseas Filipinos all over the world which the Government is 
mandated to adequately protect and safeguard under Republic Act No. 8042 or the Migrant 
Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. However, the Government seems incapable 
of effectively and efficiently assisting these Filipinos whenever emergency situations occur. 
This bill intends to provide the necessary measures for the government to carry out 
its responsibilities to assist distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in cases of war, 
epidemic, disaster or calamity, natural or man-made, and other similar events, and promote 
their general welfare. 
This bill proposes amendments to the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 
1995 to raise the necessary resources for the Emergency Repatriation Fund for OFWs in 
cases of war, epidemic, disaster or calamities, natural or man-made, and other similar 
events, so that OFWs can be speedily repatriated and kept out of harm's way at the soonest 
possible time. It also proposes to establish and maintain an up-to-date database and 
locator system of OFWs needed for their repatriation, as well as institute the necessary 
disaster preparedness and mitigation measures, should misfortune happen, through the 
Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Centers in various Philippine 
embassies all over the world. 
RICHARD J. GORDON 
h Senator J+ 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 
149 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8042, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
THE MIGRANT WORKERS AND OVERSEAS FILIPINOS ACT OF 1995 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 15 of Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as the Migrant 
Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"Sec. 15. Repatriation of Workers; Emergency Repatriation Fund. - 
The repatriation of the worker and the transport of his personal belongings 
shall be the primary responsibility of the agency which recruited or deployed 
the worker overseas. All costs attendant to repatriation shall be borne by or 
charged to the agency concerned andlor its principal. 
Likewise, the 
repatriation of remains and transport of the personal belongings of a 
deceased worker and all costs attendant thereto shall be borne by the 
principal andlor the local agency. However, in cases where the termination of 
employment is due solely to the fault of the worker, the principallemployer or 
agency shall not in any manner be responsible for the repatriation of the 
former and/or his belongings. 
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), in 
coordination with appropriate international agencies, shall undertake the 
repatriation of workers in cases of war, epidemic, disaster or calamit[ies]Y, 
natural or man-made, and other similar events without prejudice to 
reimbursement by the responsible principal or agency. However, in cases 
where the principal or recruitment agency cannot be identified, all costs 
attendant to repatriation shall be borne by the OWWA. 


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For this purpose, there is hereby created and established an 
emergency repatriation fund under the administration, control and supervision 
of the OWWA, initially to consist of One hundred million pesos 
(PlOO,OOO,OOO.OO), which shall be taken from the existing fund controlled and 
administered by the OWWA. Thereafter, such fund shall be provided for in 
the General Appropriations Act from year to year: Provided, That the amount 
appropriated shall in no case be less than One hundred million pesos 
(PlOO,OOO,OOO.OO), inclusive of outstanding balances. IN ADDITION TO THE 
OBLIGATION TO REPATRIATE ITS WORKERS, THE RECRUITMENT 
AGENCY OR ITS PRINCIPAL SHALL CONTRIBUTE AN AMOUNT TO BE 
DETERMINED BY OWWA OF NOT LESS THAN FIFTY DOLLARS 
(US$50.00) BUT NOT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED (US$lOO.OO) FOR 
EVERY WORKER RECRUITED OR DEPLOYED OVERSEAS TO OWWAS 
EMERGENCY REPATRIATION FUND." 
Sec. 2. Section 19 of Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as the Migrant 
Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"Sec. 19. Establishment of a Migrant Workers and Other Overseas 
Filipinos Resource Center. - Within the premises and under the 
administrative jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in countries where there 
are large concentrations of Filipino migrant workers, there shall be 
established a Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource 
Center with the following services: 
(a) Counseling and legal services; 
(b) Welfare, DISASTER, AND EMERGENCY assistance, including RESCUE, 
RELIEF, AND REHABILITATION SERVICES AS WELL AS the 
procurement of medical and hospitalization services; 
(c) Information, advisory and programs to promote social integration, such as 
post-arrival orientation, settlement and community networking services 
and activities for social interaction; 
(d) Institute a scheme of registration of undocumented workers to bring them 
within the purview of this Act. For this purpose, the Center is enjoined to 
compel [existing] undocumented workers to register with it within six (6) 
months from the effectivity of this AMENDATORY Act OR TWO WEEKS 


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FROM THEIR ARRIVAL IN THEIR PLACE OF WORK ABROAD, under 
pain of having hislher passport cancelled; 
(e) Human resource development, such as training and skills upgrading; 
(9 Gender sensitive programs and activities to assist particular needs of 
women migrant workers; 
(9) Orientation program for returning workers and other migrants; [and] 
(h) Monitoring of daily situations, circumstances and activities affecting 
migrant workers and other overseas Filipinos[.]; 
(I) INFORMATION, ADVISORY, AND 
PROGRAMS TO 
ENHANCE 
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION MEASURES IN CASES 
OF WAR, EPIDEMIC, DISASTER OR CALAMITY, NATURAL OR MAN- 
MADE, AND OTHER SIMILAR EVENTS; AND 
(J) MAINTAIN AN UP-TO-DATE DATABASE AND LOCATOR SYSTEM OF 
MIGRANT WORKERS AND OTHER OVERSEAS FILIPINOS FOR THEIR 
NEEDED REPATRIATION, ESPECIALLY IN CASES OF WAR, 
EPIDEMIC, DISASTER OR CALAMITY, NATURAL OR MAN-MADE, AND 
OTHER SIMILAR EVENTS. 
. . .  
Sec. 3. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or 
other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
Sec. 4. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain 
in force and effect. 
Sec. 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the 
completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation in the Philippines. 
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Approved,