Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
70

HOUSE BILL NO.”

Introduced by REP. ANTHONY G. DEL ROSARIO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to prioritize the immediate descendant of a distressed overseas
Filipino worker in the availment of Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund
which was created under Republic Act (RA) No. 8042, otherwise known as the “Migrant
Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.”

Last year, the spate of political unrests in several countries in the Middle East
and North Africa coupled with natural disasters in Japan and New Zealand had caused
the highest number of OFW displacements. Their forced homecoming was saddled
with unpaid obligations, unemployment and a bleak future for their families.

To assist our distressed OFWs in times of financial uncertainty due to involuntary
repatriation, and in recognition of the significant contribution of our mga bagong bayani
to the national economy through their foreign exchange remittances, we find it most
opportune to resuscitate the Congressional Migrant Workers’ Scholarship Fund and use
it for the college scholarship of at least one of their children or dependents.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

ANTHONY)G. DEL ROSARIO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. __~ 70

Introduced by REP. ANTHONY G. DEL ROSARIO

AN ACT
PROVIDING PRIORITY TO THE IMMEDIATE DESCENDANT OF DISTRESSED
OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKER IN THE AVAILMENT OF CONGRESSIONAL
MIGRANT WORKERS SCHOLARSHIP FUND, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8042, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “MIGRANT WORKERS
AND OVERSEAS FILIPINOS ACT OF 1995” AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Section 37 of Republic Act No 8042, as amended, is hereby
further amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 37. The Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund. —
There is hereby created a Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund
which shall benefit deserving migrant workers and/or their immediate
descendants below twenty-one (21) years of age who intend to pursue
courses or training primarily in the field of science and technology. IN THE
CASE OF IMMEDIATE DESCENDANTS, HOWEVER, PRIORITY SHALL
BE GIVEN TO THE CHILD OF A DISTRESSED OVERSEAS FILIPINO
WORKER (OFW).

FOR PURPOSES OF THIS ACT, A DISTRESSED OVERSEAS.
FILIPINO WORKER SHALL REFER TO AN OFW WHO IS REPATRIATED
BY REASON OF NATURAL DISASTERS, POLITICAL UNREST, ABUSIVE
EMPLOYERS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SEXUAL ABUSE AND ILLEGAL
RECRUITMENT.

The initial seed fund of Two hundred million pesos
(P200,000,000.00) shall be constituted from the following sources:

(a) _ Fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) from the unexpended
Countrywide Development Fund for 1995 in equal sharing by all Members of
Congress; and

(b) The remaining One hundred fifty million pesos (P150,000,000.00)
shall be funded from the proceeds of Lotto draws.


The Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund as herein
created shall be administered by the DOLE in coordination with the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST). To cary out the
objectives of this section, the DOLE and the DOST shall formulate the
necessary rules and regulations.”

SEC. 2. Section 38 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 38. Appropriation and Other Sources of Funding. — The
amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be provided
for in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment
into law and thereafter.

TO RESTORE THE OPERATION OF THE CONGRESSIONAL
MIGRANT WORKERS SCHOLARSHIP FUND, THE AMOUNT OF ONE
HUNDRED MILLION PESOS (P100,000,000.00) 1S HEREBY
APPROPRIATED: PROVIDED, THAT FIFTY PERCENT (50%) THEREOF
SHALL BE UTILIZED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE COLLEGE
SCHOLARSHIP OF THE IMMEDIATE DESCENDANTS OF
DISTRESSED OFWS. THEREAFTER, THE AMOUNT AS MAY BE
NECESSARY FOR THE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
CONGRESSIONAL MIGRANT WORKERS SCHOLARSHIP FUND
SHALL BE TAKEN FROM THE INTERNALLY GENERATED INCOME OF
OWWA.”

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,