A LEGISLATOR on Wednesday hailed the passage on second reading of a bill enhancing the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, chair of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, thanked the House leadership led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for their support to House Bill 9305, also called an act expanding the use of the Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) and the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo Para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund.
The House approved the bill on second reading last Tuesday. Salo was one of the principal authors of the measure.
According to Salo, the passage of the bill in second reading signifies a big step towards strengthening legal support for OFWs, ensuring that they receive adequate legal assistance and protection throughout their employment abroad.
“In its current form, the rules on the use of the Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) provide that it may be used on appeal, or until the finality of a decision and other services related thereto or for the settlement of civil liability.”
“This means that the use of the Fund is only optional and subject to the decision of the DFA. This causes delay in the provision of immediate assistance to OFWs in distress,” Salo noted.
“On the other hand, the AKSYON Fund is currently available only to OFWs in distress who is a party to a civil, criminal, or labor dispute at the host country. Thus, it cannot be utilized by an OFW who seeks to initiate a complaint against erring employers abroad,” he added.
Thus, Salo said this bill seeks to clarify that both the LAF and AKSYON Fund will be “immediately, and at all times, available to all Overseas Filipinos and migrant workers in distress from the time of commencement of the complaint, action or similar proceeding, until promulgation and execution of judgment, and at all levels of appeal.”
“The expanded scope of the LAF and the AKSYON Fund now includes support for labor complaints against exploitative employers and legal actions against individuals in host countries,” Salo said.
The bill also clarifies the roles of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in providing legal assistance to Filipino nationals abroad.
“Underlining a clear demarcation, the bill designates the DFA’s responsibility for overseeing the well-being of overseas Filipinos while entrusting the DMW with the specific task of extending legal support to OFWs,” Salo said.
He expressed optimism about its potential impact on OFWs once the bill gets enacted. “Once this bill is enacted, it will undoubtedly assist numerous OFWs by guiding them through the entire legal process, with the government’s support from initial filing up to the filing of appeals, if necessary, until the conclusion of all subsequent legal proceedings.”