The Philippine House of Representatives on Tuesday passed on third and final reading a measure expanding government-funded legal assistance for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including support for cases against abusive employers and other offending parties abroad.

With 245 votes in favor and no objection, lawmakers approved House Bill (HB) No. 9462, which expands the use of the Legal Assistance Fund and the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan Fund. The third-reading copy of the bill was not immediately available.

According to the committee report, the measure would allow the two funds to cover legal assistance from investigation and arrest or detention through trial and appeals. The funds could also be used to hire foreign lawyers, post bail, pay court fees, and cover other litigation expenses.

HB 9462 would likewise allow the funds to support labor and criminal cases against abusive employers and other offending parties abroad. The measure would further empower the Department of Foreign Affairs to provide legal and other assistance to OFWs in countries or territories where no Migrant Workers Office operates.

Overseas Filipino workers form a key pillar of the Philippine economy, with remittances sent home from around the world amounting to billions of dollars each year. The country's principal safeguard for this workforce is the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, and the Department of Migrant Workers maintains a network of Migrant Workers Offices in major destination countries. The bill approved on Tuesday seeks to address assistance gaps for OFWs based in jurisdictions outside that network.

Under the Philippines' bicameral legislative process, approval on third and final reading completes a bill's passage in the House; the measure then moves to the Senate, which must pass its own version before any differences between the two chambers are reconciled and a final text can be sent to the President for signature.

Also on Tuesday, the chamber approved House Bill No. 9806 on third and final reading, providing free financial education for OFWs and their families. The measure secured 250 votes in favor, with no votes against and no abstentions.

HB 9806 seeks to provide OFWs and their families with financial education to help them better manage their earnings and make informed financial decisions. Taken together, the two measures address complementary dimensions of state support for the same workforce: legal assistance for OFWs facing cases abroad and financial education aimed at helping OFWs and their families manage their earnings.

— Pexcel John Bacon

Source: BusinessWorld