- 05 AUG 2014

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Manila

Sixteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4805

Introduced by Honorable Gabriel. Luis R. Quisumbing
EXPLANATORY NOTE

On July 20, 2014, The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) ordered the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Libya as conflict in
the country escalated, In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said, "Under
Alert Level 4, the Philippine Government undertakes evacuation of about 13,000 Filipino
nationals there as soon as possible while no Filipino national will be allowed to travel to
Libya.” The DFA further stated that the raising of the alert level was in response to the
extremely unstable political and security situation in Libya.

Our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are recognized and honored by the Philippine
government as the "bagong bayani” (new heroes). Thus, itis imperative that the government
ensures the safety and well-being of our migrant workers, and further provide a program for
reintegration of OFWs.

This bill seeks to institute a mechanism to provide safety nets for displaced Overseas
Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have been forced to evacuate from countries ridden with
conflict and torn by war. Emergency employment addresses the very basic need of Filipino
families when their primary income-earner loses his job overseas due to strife and
evacuation in war-torn countries,

Article Il, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution provides that: “The State shall promote a
just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation
and free the people from poverty through policies that provide the adequate social services,
promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.
Thus, it behooves the State to provide its people with the means to achieve a dignified
standard of living,

The author proposes to institutionalize an emergency employment system to bring
the poorest sectors of our nation a measure of relief against poverty and hunger brought
about by the displacement from overseas employment. Such dire situation besetting our
fellow Filipinos is further aggravated by the lack of alternative means of livelihood in the
country, Accordingly, included herein is a proposal to afford displaced OFWs emergency
employment for a limited period of time in order to assist them in re-establishing a viable
means of livelihood,

Hence, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

GABRIEL LBlg R. QUISUMBING



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Manila

Sixteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

House BiLLNo,__ 4805

Introduced by Honorable Gabriel, Luis R. Quisumbing

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING A SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1, Title - This act shall be known as the Emergency Employment Act.

SECTION 2. Policy - It is hereby declared a state policy to provide safety nets for
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and institute a mechanism to provide emergency
employment which shall afford some measure of relief for the loss of income due to
forced evacuation from conflict-ridden or war-torn countries.

SECTION 3. Definition of terms:

a) Conflict areas- countries experiencing war or civil strife which endangers
the Filipino worker overseas, as declare by the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA).

b) Forced Evacuation - mandatory repatriation due to war, employed by the
authorities as a protective action to help save lives in emergencies.
Further, mandatory evacuation is essential in situations where conflict or
civil strife has the potential to cause severe loss of life and damage.

c.) Emergency Employment - refers to work done as livelihood, contracted by
the government or the private sector for OFWs repatriated from conflict areas
to afford them a means of income in return for services rendered.

d.) Beneficiary - OFW identified by the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) as having been forcibly evacuated from conflict areas
upon orders of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and certified by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for indigency, in
order to avail of the emergency employment herein provided


SECTION 4, Entitlement to Emergency Employment - Any beneficiary OFW
identified by the POEA as having been forcibly evacuated from war-torn or conflict-
ridden areas, and who has been duly certified for indigency by the DSWD shall be
entitled to avail of Emergency Employment as defined in this Act.

SECTION 5, Duration of Emergency Employment- the beneficiary qualifying for
emergency employment may avail of such benefit for the duration of the travel ban
to the conflict areas of origin; or until such OFW sooner finds gainful employment.
Provided, in no case shall such emergency employment exceed six (6) months from
the time of forced evacuation,

SECTION 6. Implementing Agency - The Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in
coordination with Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shall promulgate the rules
and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act within sixty (60) days
from approval hereof.

SECTION 6. Special Appropriations - Five (5) percent of the yearly budget under the
annual General Appropriation Act of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shall
be used to fund the provisions of this Act. Any savings realized by these Departments
shall also be used to augment the percentage herein provided.

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed,
amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,