EFFECTIVE March 1, all claims for health insurance benefits for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their dependents will now be processed by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

This was announced by Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, PhilHealth President and CEO following the release of Executive Order 392, amending Executive Order 182 which mandated the transfer of the Medicare program for OFWs from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to PhilHealth.

“Through our Overseas Workers Program (OWP), we officially welcome our modern-day heroes into the PhilHealth family,” Duque said. “This development is a major step towards fulfilling our mandate of providing health insurance coverage to all Filipinos.”

Under the National Health Insurance Program, OFWs confined abroad due to illness or injury are entitled to PhilHealth benefits, provided their eligibility certificates are active. Similarly, their families in the Philippines may avail themselves of the hospitalization benefits through any of PhilHealth’s 1,548 accredited hospitals nationwide.

For overseas confinements, OFWs are given 180 calendar days from date of discharge to file the claim with PhilHealth through the service desks in OWWA offices, as well as with any of the 16 regional and 84 service offices of PhilHealth. For confinements on local shores, OFWs and their families have 60 calendar days within which to file their claim.

“Apart from the existing benefits provided for under the OWWA-Medicare, OFW- members are assured of a more expanded benefit package,” Duque stressed. He said that PhilHealth has packages for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Tuberculosis through Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (TB-DOTS), maternity care and renal care services through free-standing dialysis clinics.

He also assured OFWs that the annual premium for health insurance remains at P900. The amount may be paid at any of PhilHealth’s 42 accredited collecting partners and their almost 4,000 branches all over the country. Overseas workers may also pay their premium in their place of employment using the currency where their payments will be made. “We have also accredited branches of iRemit in the United Kingdom, Singapore, HongKong, Taiwan and Australia through which the payments may be made,” the PhilHealth Chief said.

The turnover of the Medicare program also entails the transfer of P530M from the OWWA-Medicare. Duque said this amount is what is “actuarially needed to fund the basic OFW Medicare program for one year to ensure continuity of service to OFWs.” The fund transfer takes effect 60 days from date of publication of EO 392 last January 27, 2005.

Duque emphasized that with the transfer of program administration, overseas workers can rely on PhilHealth’s robust and stable financial status with its close to P51 billion in assets. He added that OFWs who eventually return to the country for good may continue their membership as Individually Paying Members. When they reach the age of 60 and have made at least 120 monthly contributions to PhilHealth, they may enjoy lifetime coverage without having to pay any additional premium.

“These are but some of the advantages that the transfer will bring to our OFW- members. We look forward to servicing the health care needs of our OFWs,” Duque enthused.

For OFWs and their families who need additional information about this development, please call 637-9999 locals 1823 and 1824.

Pre – Employment Services

Processing of Employment Contracts; Issuance of Overseas Employment Certificates, Name or Direct Hires, Government recruits and Household Workers
Government Placement Branch
Ground Floor
Tel. Nos. 722-11-75/76/77

Landbased & Seabased Workers Hired through Licensed Agencies
Employment Contracts Processing Branch (ECPB)
2nd floor, tel. Nos. 722-11-67/721-94-91

Balik-manggagawa
Balik-manggagawa Processing Division
Service Area, tel. No. 721-07-85

Accreditation of Principals and Approval of Job Orders
Accreditation Branch
Seabased: 2nd floor, Tel. No. 721-94-93
Landbased : Mezzanine floor, Tel. No. 722-11-86/87
Taiwan & Korea-Bound Workers: 2nd Floor, Tel No. 722-11-60
Household Workers : Ground Floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-76/77

Market Research and Promotions
Marketing Branch
Mezzanine Floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-62

Registration of Landbased Applicants for present and future hiring;
Issuance of Artist Record Book (ARB);
Issuance of Seafarers’ Registration Cards
Manpower Registry Division
Ground Floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-43/46

Pre-employment Orientation Seminar
Worker’s Education Division
2nd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-85

Provides information and guidance to the public
POEA Action Center
Ground floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-44/55

Welfare Services

Pre-departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS);
Worker’s Education Division
2nd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-85

Welfare Services (violation of terms and conditions of employment
contracts; claims for injury/death benefits; tracing whereabouts of
workers, request for repatriation of remains, etc.)
Welfare Assistance Division
2nd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-82

Licensing and Regulation

Issuance/Renewal of license
Licensing Branch
4th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-49/91

Legal Assistance to victims of illegal recruitment
Anti-illegal Recruitment Branch
3rd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-89/90//721-06-19

Labor Assistance prior to embarkation
Employment Regulation Branch
4th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-90
Labor Assistance Counter (LAC)
NAIA-LAC, Tel. No. 8321961 local 3703

Adjudication

Legal Assistance and adjudication of cases arising from employee-employee relation; violation of recruitment regulations
Adjudication/Recruitment Regulation Branch
3rd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-48/58

Legal assistance and watchlisting of contract workers facing charges and complaints
Adjudication Branch
3rd floor, Tel. No. 722-11-42/45

General Administrative and Support Services

Overseas employment statistics/
General information on overseas employment materials
Planning Branch
5th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-83/47

Human Resource Development
Human Resources Development Division
5th floor, Tel. No. 722-11-69

Financial and other related transactions
Finance Branch
5th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-68/71/78

Certified copy of Information Sheet and
Overseas Employment Certificate of Filipino Overseas Worker
Records Division
6th floor, Tel. No. 721-94-89

source: http://www.poea.gov.ph/html/services.html.

- Maria Theresa S. Samante

Delay or non-payment of the salary is one of the major complaints of Filipino workers, as well as reasons of disputes between the worker and his employer. Thus, the Labor Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has taken measures to safeguard the rights of migrant workers against their employers who fail to give or delay payment of salaries.  There are two important decisions that Labor Ministry Ghazi Al-Gosaibi considered to protect the rights of some seven million foreign workers in the Kingdom. First, any company or institution that delays payment of salaries of its employees for two consecutive months will be banned from recruitment for a year, and second, expatriate workers are also allowed to transfer sponsorship to another company or employer if their company delays payment of their salaries for three months consecutively. While under the current law, a worker cannot transfer his sponsorship until he or she has completed one year under the original sponsor. 

“In this situation, a worker can approach the labor office to get his sponsorship transferred to another employer without waiting for a year,” the ministry said.  The decision also states that “while transferring sponsorship, the worker or his new employer shall not pay any compensation to the former employer and the defaulter will not be compensated by providing another worker.”  

Ambassadors and Consulates from different countries, including the
Philippines, had expressed their thoughts about the new policy that would protect the rights of foreign workers in terms of payment of salary. The Philippine Consul General Pendosina Lomondot in Jeddah, said that it is a welcome development for workers in the Kingdom and it means that the rights of the workers will be well protected. 

“It’s a welcome development. It removes the irritants between the employers and the employees. I am sure this new regulation will be appreciated by all labor-exporting countries,” Philippine Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor said. P.J.J. Antony, an Indian human resource administrator in Jubail, described the ministry’s decision as a major step toward protecting labor rights. 

“The Kingdom has to do more in this respect as a considerable number of workers here do not receive their salaries on time,” he said. “Many workers will not be able to prove that their salaries were not paid as their companies do not keep any files or records for them.” T. Balachandran and K. Muralidharan, both second secretaries (welfare) at the Indian Embassy, and K.U. Iqbal, a journalist, welcomed the new Labor Ministry decisions. They said that Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farook had met with Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman and Labor Minister Gosaibi and requested them to take measures to protect the rights of Indian workers, especially housemaids.