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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP, PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, 
EDVIC G. YAP, JOCELYN P. TULFO, RALPH TULFO, and JEFFREY SORIANO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article XIII Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall adopt an 
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor 
to make essential goods, health, and other social services available to all people at 
affordable cost. 
According to the National Research Council of the Philippines1, there are over 2.2 
million Filipinos working abroad as of June 2020. Upon investigation, the most 
common health problems among the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are the 
following: diseases related to cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, and urinary / 
excretory systems. Further, hypertension, arthritis, and hepatitis are the highest ones 
recorded among OFWs. According to the research, the main reasons that explain their 
attitude of not seeking proper medical / health maintenance are the lack of awareness 
of their benefits, distance between health service centers and their workplace, fear of 
losing their job, and reliance on self-medication to save up their income for their 
families. 
Thus, this bill seeks to provide a comprehensive and total health care services to all 
migrant workers, including Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) 
contributors, whether active, or non-active, and their legal dependents by establishing 
1 https://nrcp.dost.gov.ph/feature-articles/794-common-health-problems-among-overseas-filipino-workers-ofws-
implications-to-prevention-and-health-services
September 23, 2022
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the Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital. It shall serve as the primary hospital for 
repatriated OFWs needing medical assistance and support.  
The OFW Hospital shall have a tertiary level of care consistent with the health care 
needs of the OFW and their dependents under the full administrative and technical 
supervision of the Department of Health. Further, the Department of Migrant 
Workers shall ensure that the existing health benefits and medical assistance 
programs are strengthened to include subsidies on hospitalization and medical 
procedures for OFW and qualified dependents. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ERIC G. YAP 
PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
       EDVIC G. YAP 
        JOCELYN P. TULFO 
       RALPH TULFO 
 JEFFREY SORIANO 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP, PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, 
EDVIC G. YAP, JOCELYN P. TULFO, RALPH TULFO, and JEFFREY SORIANO 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS HOSPITAL AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Overseas Filipino
Workers (OFW) Hospital Act or OFW Hospital Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote 
the right to health of the Filipino people and to instill health consciousness among them. 
The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development. 
Further, the State shall protect the interest and promote the well-being of overseas 
Filipino workers (OFWs) in recognition of their importance and contribution to economic 
development and nation building. 
SEC. 3. Establishment of OFW Hospital. - There shall be established a hospital 
with at least tertiary level of care to be known as "OFW Hospital", hereinafter referred to 
as the Hospital. The Hospital shall be developed consistent with the health care needs of 
the OFWs and their dependents. The Hospital shall be under the full administrative and 
technical supervision of the Department of Health (DOH). 
The DOH shall prepare a development plan to reflect the goals of the Hospital. 
SEC. 4. Objectives. - To ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of 
quality health care, the Hospital shall have the following main objectives: 
a. Provide comprehensive and total health care services to all migrant workers
including Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) contributors,
whether active or non-active, and their legal dependents;
b. Conduct medical examinations to ensure the physical and mental capability of
would-be overseas contract workers duly covered by an approved job order;
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c. Serve as primary referral hospital for repatriated OFW needing medical 
assistance and support; 
 
d. Set up systems that will effectively monitor condition of patients and to 
generate relevant health information and data for policy formulation; and 
 
e. Participate in the health care provider networks and arrangements relative to 
the implementation of Republic Act No. 11223, or the "Universal Health Care 
Act." 
 
SEC. 5. Medical Assistance. - The Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers 
(DMW), as Chairperson of the OWWA Board, shall ensure that existing health benefits 
and medical assistance programs are strengthened to include subsidies on hospitalization 
and medical procedures for OFW and qualified dependents. 
 
SEC. 6. Joint Executive Oversight Committee. - There is hereby created a Joint 
Executive Oversight Committee to review the implementation of this Act and hospital 
development plans for the OFW Hospital. 
 
The Committee shall be co-chaired by the Secretary of Health and the Secretary of 
Migrant Workers. It shall be composed of seven (7) members including its co- 
chairpersons. The members shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health upon 
consultation with the Secretary of Migrant Workers. 
 
SEC. 7. Tax Exemption. - All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and 
contributions made to the OFW Hospital to be used actually, directly and exclusively by 
the OFW Hospital shall be exempt from donor's tax and the same shall be considered as 
allowable deduction from the gross income of the donor, in accordance with the 
provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended. 
 
The importation of equipment, machinery and spare parts which are used solely 
and exclusively for the operation of the OFW Hospital and are not available locally shall 
be exempt from value-added tax and customs duty. 
 
SEC. 8. Appropriations. - The Secretary of Health shall include in the 
Department's program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act. The OWWA shall also include in its 
benefits and medical assistance programs for OFW the line-item budget necessary to 
improve the access of OFWs and dependents to health care services. 
 
SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the 
approval of this Act, the DOH, in coordination with DMW, OWWA, Philippine Overseas 
Employment Administration (POEA) and other stakeholders, shall promulgate the 
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
provisions hereof. 
 


 
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SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, executive orders, and rules 
and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,