NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
International labor mobility is increasing, as a matter of policy and a matter of fact. 
Today, the number of Overseas Filipino workers has increased almost 25-fold over the past 
20 years, with nearly 1.2 million registered deployments to over 190 countries in 2006 alone. 
Although government policy initially focused on exporting professionals, OFW occupations 
abroad have diversified over time to include factory workers, construction workers, and service 
workers, such as care givers and domestic helpers. 
In 2006, a total of 91,411 domestic helpers and other household workers were 
deployed overseas.  Of this number, 98 percent or nearly 90,000 are female.  Most of them 
were deployed to the following areas: Hong Kong (19,532), Kuwait (19,097), Saudi Arabia 
(11,898), United Arab Emirates (11,844), Lebanon (7,710), Qatar (6,524), Jordan (4,359), 
Singapore (3,162), Oman (2,068), Cyprus (1,178) and Bahrain (1,343). In 2007, the 
Philippines deployed a total of 49,431 workers to Singapore, part of the 1.08 million Filipinos 
who went overseas for work that year.  
 In 2021, statistics from the Department of Labor show that there are around 1.83 
million Overseas Contract Workers deployed to different countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, 
Europe and North and South America.  
There are numerous reports of maltreatment and exploitation suffered by our OFWs. 
Hence, there is a need to protect and ensure the welfare of our migrant workers.  This bill 
seeks to provide compulsory welfare insurance for our overseas contract workers. 
In view thereof, immediate approval of this Bill is sought. 
 RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ 
April 11, 2023
8:00 am
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NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING COMPULSORY WELFARE INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL OVERSEAS 
CONTRACT WORKERS 
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 “Overseas Contract Workers Insurance 
Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared a policy of the State to ensure the 
welfare of our overseas contract workers by providing insurance program without cost on their 
part.  
. 
SEC. 3. Benefits under the Insurance Program. – All overseas contract workers shall be 
covered by a welfare insurance program in addition to benefits being provided by Overseas 
Workers Welfare Administration.  They shall be entitled to the following benefits: 
a.) Accidental Death Benefit of up to US$15,000;  
b.) Survivor's Benefit, in case of Natural Death, of up to S$10,000;  
c.) Permanent Total Disablement of up to US$7,500; 
d.) Repatriation of Bodily Remains, including burial, of up to  US$15,000; 
e) Repatriation due to Emergency Evacuation and legitimate causes of up to
US$1,000;
f.) Subsistence Allowance of US$100 per month for six months totaling US$600;
and
g) Legitimate Monetary Claims for Unpaid/Rightful and Just Wages of up to
US$4,500.
SEC. 4. Insurance Premium. – All recruitment agencies shall pay a premium of US$ 3.00 per 
month to Overseas Workers Welfare Administration for the insurance coverage of overseas 
contract workers. 
SEC. 5. Penalty. – In case of failure to pay the premium on time, the recruitment agency shall 
be liable to pay interest at the rate of 12% per annum.  Refusal to pay premium for at least 
three consecutive months shall be a ground for the suspension or revocation of the recruitment 
agency’s license. 
SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Department of Labor and Employment 
shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective enforcement of the provisions of 
this Act. 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. — Should any provision of this Act or any part thereof be 
declared invalid, the other provisions, so far as they are separable from the invalid ones, shall 
remain in full force and effect.  
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SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. – All laws, orders, issuances, rules and regulations or parts 
thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 9. Effectivity. –This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication 
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,