Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SF DATE December 2, 202459

Quezon City TNE _sarpm
NINETEENTH CONGRESS Ks BY_Tweety _

Third Regular Session

Wo as

HOUSE BILL NO. 11160

Introduced by: REP. SALVADOR A. PLEYTO, SR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

. Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs are hesitant to come home, even if they are in
the middle of crises or emergencies like what happened recently in the war-town areas in the
Middle East.

The Department of Migrant Workers said that about 1,300 Filipinos have come home
from war-torn Middle East since 2023, adding that about 1,326 OFWs from Israel and
Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza have been repatriated, with most of them or 888 OFWs
came from Israel.

These so-called modem day heroes are coming home with no ray of hope of what to
expect in order for them to continue earning their keep for their families.
Finding a job or to have an income-generating activity such as engaging in business with
their hard-earned savings, are the top most challenges that they face when they come home.

‘These apprehensions in their minds adds to their worries of what they will do to cope
up with their situations. This Bill, to be known as the OFW Reintegration Act” will ease the
fears and apprehensions of OFWs and will ensure that they will be fully re-integrated into the
Philippine workforce and/or business sector, as they may so choose, with the focus on putting
them back to self-sufficiency.

PLEYTO, SR.


Republic of the P! ies
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 11160

Introduced by: REP. SALVADOR A. PLEYTO,

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REINTEGRATION OF REPATRIATED
OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS INTO THE PHILIPPINE WORKFORCE AND
BUSINE ‘OR

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 “OF W Reintegration Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - The State recognizes its duty to secure the interests
and welfare of all Filipino workers, whether they be employed locally or abroad. As such,
the State acknowledges the necessity of enacting measures to ease repatriated OFWs back
into the Philippine workforce and/or business sector, as they may so choose, with the focus
on putting them back to self-sufficiency

SEC. 3. Applicability ~ This Act shall apply to all OFWs who have been repatriated,
whether they willingly resigned from their posts abroad or had their employment terminated.

SEC. 4. Business-Oriented Capacity-Building Training for OFWs. ~ The Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE), in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry
(DTD, shall provide trainings for OFWs who are seeking to set up their businesses.

a) Business conceptualization and the conduct of feasibility studies;

b) Registration and all other administrative matters related to creating one’s own
business;

©) Business promotion/advertising/marketing; and

d) Service/product delivery.

The training shall also be a means for the OFWs to be assisted in finding and
connecting with mentors in the business sector, particularly those already established in the
specific industry that an OFW would want to venture into.


Prioritization shall be given to those OFWs with no background in putting together and
running/operating their businesses, especially those who will be going into single
proprietorship, with no seasoned business partners to rely on.

SEC. 5. Dedicated Financing / Loan Programs for OFW-Owned MSMEs. ~ The
DOLE, in coordination with the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Budget
and Management (DBM), shall create new financing/loan programs what will exclusively
cater to OF Ws, who are in the process of setting up their own MSMEs.

Such programs shall strictly be for those OFWs with no existing MSMEs. OF W with
existing MSMEs shall be accommodated by DTI’s standing programs.

SEC. 6. Job Fairs for OFWs ~ The DOLE, in coordination with the Department of
Interior and Local Government and the DTI, shall have a series of job fairs for possible
employment opportunities for OFWs in the private sector.

SEC. 7. Government Job Fairs for Civil Service Qualified OFWs. ~ The DOLE, in
coordination with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the DILG, and the Office of the
Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), shall have a series of job fairs for possible
employment of civil service qualified OFWs in the national or local government, its agencies,
bureaus, offices, and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled
corporations (GOCCs)..

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations - The Secretaries of DOLE and DILG,
together with the concerned agencies, shall jointly promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations required for the effective implementation of this Act.

In drafting the IRR, the Secretaries shall consult with public and private stakeholders
including:

a) The Civil Service Commission;

b) The DILG;
c) The DTI;
d) The DOF;
©) The DBM;
f) The OWWA; and

2) The OGCC.

SEC. 9. Appropriations ~The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act
shall be charged against those authorized in the current and subsequent General
Appropriations Act.


SEC. 10. Separability Clause ~ If for any reason any provision of this Act is declared
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not otherwise affected shall remain valid
and subsisting.

SEC. 23. Repealing Clause ~ All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
ordinances, rules and regulation, and other issuances or part thereof which are inconsistent
with this Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

4. Effectivity ~ This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette of in newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,