President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the payment of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) premium contributions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to be voluntary.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the President has issued the order to spare OFWs of any more hardships amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
The Chief Executive has also directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to exclude the payment of PhilHealth premiums as requirement for release of the Overseas Employment Certificate. – Report from Mela Lesmoras