Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
World War II is a remarkable historical event for humanity. The political landscape 
changed, men were injured and incapacitated, families lost loved ones, communities 
damaged, and many of our own suffered greatly during the war.  
Some women, like the Filipino Comfort Women, experienced a great deal of physical 
and psychological trauma at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army. They were 
forced to become the sex slaves of the army during their stay in the country. 
Recognition of their plight has been a long time coming and deserved for all they have 
been through.  
Given these premises, this bill proposes to provide pension and health benefits to 
Filipino Comfort Women. The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women is 
designated to determine the authenticity of the identities of comfort women and assist 
them in the application for the compensation and benefits therein. With the said 
financial support and health insurance, the State seeks to ensure the well-being of our 
Comfort Women and ease their lives from further challenges.  
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
September 28, 2023
1:05 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING FOR PENSION AND HEALTH BENEFITS TO COMFORT WOMEN, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 “Comfort Women 
Compensation and Benefit Act”. 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. – 
a.
Comfort Women – shall mean Filipino Women who were made sex slaves by
the Japanese Occupation Army during World War II as may be determined by the 
National Commission on Women; 
b.
NCRFW – shall mean the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women;
c.
Department – shall mean the Department of Social Welfare and Development;
d.
PVAO – shall mean the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office;
e.
PhilHealth – shall mean the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
SECTION 3. Determination of Comfort Women. – The NCRFW is hereby tasked to 
determine the authenticity of the claims and identities of Comfort Women with the 
assistance of the various accredited cause-oriented women’s groups. Applications for 
the compensation and benefits herein provided for must be filed within two (2) years 
from the effectivity of this Act, otherwise the same shall forever be barred. 
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SECTION 4. Responsibility of the Department. – The Department shall formulate a 
program for the proper counseling and guidance of Comfort Women taking into 
consideration not only their ordeal in the hands of the Japanese Occupation Army but 
more so the pain and suffering of retelling them in public. 
 
SECTION 5. Duty of PhilHealth. – The PhilHealth is hereby mandated to provide free 
full medical insurance to Comfort Women as may be determined by the NCRFW. 
 
SECTION 6. Responsibility of PVAO. – The PVAO shall provide for the monthly 
pension of Comfort Women in the amount of Three Thousand Pesos (Php 3,000.00). 
 
SECTION 7. Fund. – An initial fund in the amount of Ten Million Pesos (Php 
10,000,000.00) is hereby allocated for the processing of applications and payments of 
pensions and insurance of Comfort Women identified by the NCRFWF. Thereafter, 
the cost of the pensions and insurance shall be included in the budget of the PVAO 
and PhilHealth under the General Appropriation Act. 
 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. – Should any provision herein be declared 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this 
Act. 
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or 
other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect in fifteen (15) days after 
publication in the Official Gazette or in one (1) newspaper of general circulation in the 
Philippines. 
 
Approved,