FIFTEENTH Congess of the)
of the Republic of the Philippines)
Second Regular Session )

House of Representatives

House Bill No. 05.24

Introduced by : Atty. MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID
Representative, 4" District Manila

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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
Tespective 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
Televant 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.

Atty. MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID

Representative, 4” District Manila


FIFTEENTH Congess of the _)
of the Republic of the Philippines)
Second Regular Session )

House of Representatives

- +9
House Bill No, 9924

Introduced by : Atty. MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID
Representative, 4” District Manila

AN ACTCREATING THE OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (OFW) MEDICAL CENTER
DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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

‘SECTION 1. Creation of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Medical Center-
there is hereby created a trust for the benefit primarily of the Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFW) under the name and style of Overseas Filipino Workers Medical Center,
hereinafter referred to as OFW Medical Center.

The OFW Medical Center shall be administered by a Board of Trustees,
composed of seven (7) members, to be appointed by the President of the Philippines.
The Director of the Genter shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees. The six (6)
appointive members of the Board of Trustees shall serve without compensation for a
period of four (4) years and until their successors shall have been appointed and
qualified. Any vacancy in the Board shall be filled by appointment by the President of
the Philippines, and the appointee shall serve for the unexpired the Board of Trustees -

The Board of Trustees of the OFW Medical Genter shall elect a Chairman from
among 15 themselves, who shall be the presiding officer of the Board of Trustees.

Four (4) Members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum to transact
business and any decision of such four (4) members on any matter duly presented to
the Board of Trustees shall constitute a valid and binding act of OFW Medical Center.

SEC. 2. Government's Contribution - The Government shall contribute the
necessary land, building equipment and facilities to the OFW Medical Center, and shall
pay such obligations for real, personal and mixed properties arising from such
undertaking under a deferred payment arrangement within five (5) years, at a preferred
rate of interest.

SEC 3. Property of the Center - The Property of the OFW Medical Center shall
consist of the real, personal, mixed and other type of property, now owned or reserved
for, or may hereafter given, donated, acquired, transferred or conveyed to, the OFW
Medical Center by the Philippine Government, its branches and instrumentalities, any
foreign government, as well as by trust, foundations, corporations, or persons, alien or
domestic, in order to carry out its purposes and objective as set forth herein.

SEC. 4. Purposes and Objectives - The purposes and objectives of the OFW
Medical Center are:


Filipino Workers and their Families;

2. 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:

3. To stimulate and/or underwrite scientific researches on the biological,
demographic, social, economic, eugenic, physiological aspects of common or rare OFW
illness; and gather, compile and publish the findings of such researches for public
dissemination;

4. 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;

5, To encourage and/or undertake the training of physicians, nurses, medical
technicians, health officers and social workers on the practical and scientific ;conduct and
implementation of medical services and other related activities;

6. To encourage the formation of other organizations on the national, provincial, city,
municipal or barangay level and to coordinate their various efforts and activities for the
purpose of achieving a more effective programmatic approach on the common problems
relative to the objective herein enumerated; and

7. To extend medical services to the OFWs and their families, to help prevent,
relieve or alleviate their innumerable medical afflictions and maladies.

SEC. 5. Powers - For the attainment and/or furtherance of the above mentioned
purposes and objective, the OFW Medical Center, as body corporate, acting through its
Board of Trustees, shall have all the powers pertaining to a juridical person, and is therefore
authorized, among other things:

1. To acquire and hold in any matter property of whatever nature or description, and
dispose of such property under any mode of encumbrance or conveyance;

2. To contract and be contracted with; To mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, conveyor
otherwise dispose of its properties;

3. To solicit and receive donations, endowments and funds in the form of
contributions, whether cash or in kind, from both the public and the private sectors;

4. To open such accounts in banks and other financial institutions and to disburse
such funds or invest the same as the Board may direct to accomplish or advance the
purposes or interest of the OFW Medical Center;

6. To invite foreign medical specialists and similar experts in the various medical
field to train the personnel or trainees or residents of the OFW Medical Center;

7. To send the personnel of the OFW Medical Center to research institutes, medical
institutes or universities for advance training or observation and to attend international or
regional conventions, conferences, congresses, and seminars as the Board may deem
necessary to accomplish the purposes and

9 objectives of the OFW Medical Center;

10. 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 of the OFW
Medical Center; and

11.To do all such other acts and things as may be necessary or incidental for the
accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the OFW Medical Center.

SEC. 6. Tax Exemptions, ete. - All donations, contributions or endowments which
may be made by entities or persons to the OFW Medical Genter shall be exempt from
income and gift taxes.

‘The OFW Medical Centers shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, charges
and fees imposed. by the government or any political subdivision or instrumentality thereof
for a period of ten (10) years. All income earned by foreign doctors who shall use the
facilities of the Center shall be tax exempt for a period of ten (10) years from the date of
issuance thereof.

SEC. 7, Assistance from Government Offices, etc. - The OFW Medical Center
may call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Government,
including government owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as it may need
in the pursuit of its purposes and objectives.


‘SEC. 8. Government Contribution - The amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos
(P500,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated as contribution of the National Government for
the initial operations and maintenance of the OFW Medical Center, which shall be
appropiated and included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 9. Auditing - The books and accounts of the OFW Medical Center shall be
subject to periodic auditing by the Chairman of the Commission on Audit or his duly
authorized representative.

SEC. 10. Annual Report - The OFW Medical Center shall render to the President
of the Philippines and to the Secretary of the Department of Health an annual report of its
activities and recommendations.

SEC 11. Effect of Dissolution of the Center - \f for any reason, the OFW Medical
Genter is dissolved, its property remaining at the time of such dissolution shall revert back
to the Philippine Government for disposition in accordance with law.

SEC 12. Repealing Clause - All laws, orders, decrees, rules and regulations,
issuance or parts thereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force
and effect.

SEC 13. Separability Clause - If any part of this Act is held unconstitutional or
invalid, other parts hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force
and effect.

SEC. 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.

Approved,