The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) earlier issued a department order for the provision of enhanced insurance to more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said in the Friday (April 1) Laging Handa program that Department Order No. 228 paved the way for the “enhanced compulsory insurance” as additional protection to OFWs, especially the Balik Manggagawa (BM), amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ito pong ipinalabas na department order ng DOLE, ito po ‘yung sagot doon sa kakulangan sa Republic Act 122 – ‘yung Migrant Workers Act natin kung saan ‘yung compulsory coverage ng insurance ay naaayon lamang para sa tinatawag nating agency hires,” he said.
Aside from BM, direct hires are also covered where they will be able to receive a pension of $7,000 for permanent disability, $10,000 for natural death, and $15,000 for accidental death.
Olalia clarified that foreign employers or manning agencies will be responsible for the insurance, and that OFWs should not be worried about the expense
“At dahil naaayon po sa [department order], ang sabi po roon ang dapat na magbayad ay iyong employers o principal, ‘pag hindi po binayaran, ‘yong pong mga agency ang sasagot,” he said.
Failure to pay for the insurance will result in a disciplinary sanction wherein the accused employers will be blacklisted and banned from hiring OFWs.
“Kapag matigas po ang ulo, atin pong sasampahan at iba-blacklist po natin sa ating database,” Olalia said. -PTV News/VC-ag
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