FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2436 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
.' " ., 1" 
'~ 
_.I • t, 
The burgeoning number of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) shows that 
we need to provide this sector of our population more attention and significance. More 
so that in the previous years, they have been the victims of exploitations within their 
respective workplaces in foreign countries. 
They are there precisely to earn better 
income and be able to afford their families better economic conditions. 
Being in a different country is quite difficult given the fact that access to medical 
privileges is not equally granted to non-citizens. This is not to mention the fact that our 
OFWs' income in times of illnesses or diseases only goes directly to medical expenses 
leaving their families with nothing. Such being the case, the realization of our OFWs' 
dream of alleviating their present economic conditions are usually hampered by such 
inevitable circumstances. 
In order to address this issue, this bill among others, aims to: 
• 
To construct, establish, operate and maintain a medical center for Overseas 
Filipino Workers and their Families; 
• 
To promote, encourage, and engage in scientific research on the prevention and 
the care and/or treatment of common and recurring cases of sickness among 
OFW patients and related activities, including sponsorship and conduct of 
relevant congresses, conventions, seminars and conferences; 
• 
The facilitate and encourage the dissemination and exchange of ideas and 
information on the prevention, treatment, and control of such diseases; to 
arouse, enhance and develop public interest or awareness; 
• 
To extend medical services to the OFWs and their families, to help prevent, 
relieve or alleviate their innumerable medical afflictions and maladies. 
The immediate passage of this bill is fervently called for. 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
f"h:'~~~ 
" 
~~''ltllt:i!: fi';' 
tI'~~- , 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
." 
.,<, ~ ~:' l 
~\-.:.(. ""!V"\,~,0 ~tV 
CREATING THE OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (OFW) MEDICAL CENTER 
DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREOF AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Creation of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Medical Center; 
2 
Board of Trustees 
-
There is hereby created a trust for the benefit primarily of 
3 
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), under the name and style of Overseas Filipino 
4 
Workers Medical Center, herein after referred to as OFW Medical Center. 
5 
6 
The OFW Medical Center shall be administered by a Board of Trustees, 
7 
composed of seven (7) members, to be appointed by the President of the Philippines. 
8 
The Director of the Center shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees. 
9 
10 
The six (6) appointive members of the Board of Trustees shall serve without 
11 
compensation for a period of four (4) years and until their successors shall have been 
12 
appointed and qualified. Any vacancy in the Board shall be filled by appointment by the 
13 
President of the Philippines, and the appointee shall serve for the unexpired term. The 
14 
Board of Trustees of the OFW Medical Center shall elect a Chairman from among 
15 
themselves, who shall be the presiding officer of the Board of Trustees. 
16 
17 
Four (4) Members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum to transact 
18 
business and any decision of such four (4) members on any matter duly presented to 
19 
the Board of Trustees shall constitute a valid and binding act of OFW Medical Center. 
20 
21 
SECTION 2. Government's Contribution - The Government shall contribute the 
22 
necessary land, building equipment and facilities to the OFW Medical Center, and shall 
23 
pay such obligations for real, personal and mixed properties arising from such 
24 
undertaking under a deferred payment arrangement within five (5) years, at a preferred 
25 
rate of interest. 
26 
27 
SECTION 3. Property of the Center - The Property of the OFW Medical Center 
28 
shall consist of the real, personal, mixed and other type of property, now owned or 
29 
reserved for, or may hereafter given, donated, acquired, transferred or conveyed to, the 
30 
OFW Medical Center by the Philippine Government, its branches and instrumentalities, 
2 


I 
any foreign government, as well as by trust, foundations, corporations, or persons, alien 
2 
or domestic, in order to carry out its purposes and objective as set forth herein. 
3 
4 
SECTION 4. Purposes and Objectives - The purposes and objectives of the 
5 
OFW Medical Center are: 
6 
7 
1. To construct, establish, operate and maintain a medical center for Overseas 
8 
Filipino Workers and their Families; 
9 
10 
2. To promote, encourage, and engage in scientific research on the prevention 
II 
and the care and/or treatment of common and recurring cases of sickness 
12 
among OFW patients and related activities, including sponsorship and 
13 
conduct of relevant congresses, conventions, seminars and conferences; 
14 
15 
3. 
To stimulate and/or underwrite scientific researches on the biological, 
16 
demographic, social, economic, eugenic, physiological aspects of common 
17 
or rare OFW illness; and gather, compile and publish the findings of such 
18 
researches for public dissemination; 
19 
20 
4. The facilitate and encourage the dissemination and exchange of ideas and 
21 
information on the prevention, treatment, and control of such diseases; to 
22 
arouse, enhance and develop public interest or awareness; 
23 
24 
5. 
To encourage and/or undertake the training of physicians, nurses, medical 
25 
technicians, health officers and social workers on the practical and scientific 
26 
conduct and implementation of medical services and other related activities; 
27 
28 
6. 
To encourage the formation of other organizations on the national, provincial, 
29 
city, municipal or barangay level and to coordinate their various efforts and 
30 
activities for the purpose of achieving a more effective programmatic 
31 
approach on the common problems relative to the objective herein 
32 
enumerated; and 
33 
34 
7. 
To extend medical services to the OFWs and their families, to help prevent, 
35 
relieve or alleviate their innumerable medical afflictions and maladies. 
36 
37 
SECTION 5. 
Powers -
For the attainment and/or furtherance of the above 
38 
mentioned purposes and objective, the OFW Medical Center, as body corporate, acting 
39 
through its Board of Trustees,shall have all the powers pertaining to a juridical person, 
40 
and is therefore authorized, among other things: 
41 
42 
1. To acquire and hold in any matter property of whatever nature or description, 
43 
and dispose of such property under any mode of encumbrance or 
44 
conveyance; 
45 
46 
2. To contract and be contracted with; 
47 
48 
3. To mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, conveyor otherwise dispose of its 
49 
properties; 
50 
51 
4. To solicit and receive donations, endowments and funds in the form of 
52 
contributions, whether cash or in kind, from both the public and the private 
53 
sectors; 
54 
55 
5. To open such accounts in banks and other financial institutions and to 
56 
disburse such funds or invest the same as the Board may direct to 
57 
accomplish or advance the purposes or interest of the OFW Medical Center; 
58 
3 


6. To invite foreign med'ical specialists and similar experts in the various medical 
2 
field to train the personnel or trainees or residents of the OFW Medical 
3 
Center; 
4 
5 
7. To send the personnel of the OFW Medical Center to research institutes, 
6 
medical institutes or universities for advance training or observation and to 
7 
attend international or regional conventions, conferences, congresses, and 
8 
seminars as the Board may deem necessary to accomplish the purposes and 
9 
objectives of the OFW Medical Center; 
10 
II 
8. To adopt a set of by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with law and 
12 
the provisions hereof to govern the administration and operation of the affairs 
13 
of the OFW Medical Center; and 
14 
IS 
9. To do all such other acts and things as may be necessary or incidental for the 
16 
accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the OFW Medical Center. 
17 
18 
SECTION 6. Tax Exemptions, etc. - All donations, contributions or endowments 
19 
which may be made by entities or persons to the OFW Medical Center shall be exempt 
20 
from income and gift taxes. 
21 
22 
The OFW Medical Centers shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, 
23 
charges and fees imposed. by the government or any political subdivision or 
24 
instrumentality thereof for a period of ten (10) years. 
25 
26 
All income earned by foreign doctors who shall use the facilities of the Center 
27 
shall be tax exempt for a period of ten (10) years from the date of issuance thereof. 
28 
29 
SECTION 7, 
Assistance from Government Offices, etc. - The OFW Medical 
30 
Center may call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the 
31 
Government, including government owned or controlled corporations, for such 
32 
assistance as it may need in the pursuit of its purposes and objectives. 
33 
34 
SECTION 8. 
Government Contribution - The amount of Five Hundred Million 
35 
Pesos (P500,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated as contribution of the National 
36 
Government for the initial operations and maintenance of the OFW Medical Center, 
37 
which shall be appropriated and included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
38 
39 
SECTION 9. Auditing .- The books and accounts of the OFW Medical Center 
40 
shall be subject to periodic auditing by the Chairman of the Commission on Audit or his 
41 
duly authorized representative. 
42 
43 
SECTION 10. Annual Report -
The OFW Medical Center shall render to the 
44 
President of the Philippines and to the Secretary of the Department of Health an annual 
45 
report of its activities and recommendations. 
46 
47 
SECTION 11. Effect of Dissolution of the Center - If for any reason, the OFW 
48 
Medical Center is dissolved, its property remaining at the time of such dissolution shall 
49 
revert back to the Philippine Government for disposition in accordance with law. 
50 
51 
SECTION 12. Repealing Clause -
All laws, orders, decrees, rules and 
52 
regulations, issuances or parts thereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to 
53 
be in full force and effect. 
54 
55 
SECTION 13. 
Separability Clause -
If any part of this Act is held 
56 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts hereof which are not affected thereby shall 
57 
continue to be in full force and effect. 
58 
4 


I 
SECTION 14. 
Effectivity - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
2 
following its publication in the least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
3 
4 
Approved, 
5