J 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR. JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The burgeoning number of Our Overseas Filipino Workers (OWS) 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. 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIFPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
c 
S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR JR. 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS ( O m  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; 
Board of Trustees - There is hereby created a trust for the benefit primarily of Overseas Filipino 
Workers (OFWs), under the name and style of Overseas Filipino Workers Medical Center, herein 
after 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 
Center 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 term. The Board of Trustees of the 
OFW Medical Center shall elect a Chairman from among 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. 
SECTION 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. 


4 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
ail 
35 
I 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
32 
I 
3f 
SECTION 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. 
SECTION 4. Purposes and Objectives - The purposes and objectives of the OFW 
Medical Center are: 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
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; 
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; 
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 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; 
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 
To extend medical services to the OFWs and their families, to help prevent, relieve 
or alleviate their innumerable medical afflictions and maladies. 
SECTION 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; 
3. To mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of its properties; 
4. 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; 
5. 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; 


c 
4 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
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 objectives of the OFW 
Medical Center; 
8. To adopt a set of by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with law and the 
provisions hereof to govern the administration and operation of the affairs of the 
OFW Medical Center; and 
9. 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. 
SECTION 6. Tax Exemptions, etc. - All donations, contributions or endowments which 
may be made by entities or persons to the OFW Medical Center 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 (1 0) 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. 
SECTION 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. 
SECTION 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 appropriated and 
included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 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. 
SECTION 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. 
SECTION 11. Effect of Dissolution ofthe Center - If for any reason, the OFW Medical 
Center is dissolved, its property remaining at the time of such dissolution shall revert back to the 
Philippine Government for disposition in accordance with law. 
SECTION 12. Repealing Clause - All laws, orders, decrees, rules and regulations, 
issuances or parts thereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and 
effect. 


1 
2 
3 
effect. 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
Approved, 
s 
13. Separability Clatcse - 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 
SECTION 14. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its 
publication in the least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.