The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has decided to add directly hired and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to the compulsory insurance program for migrant workers.
Earlier, only agency-hired migrant workers were covered under the insurance program, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia reportedly said.
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“Ito ‘yung sagot sa kakulangan ng… Migrant Workers Act kung saan yung compulsory coverage insurance ay naaayon lamang sa mga tinatawag na agency-hires (This is the answer to the lacking provisions in the Migrant Workers Act where compulsory coverage insurance were only afforded to the agency-hired OFWs),” Olalia said during a public briefing.
“Mayroon tayong tinatawag na direct hires, sila po yung hindi sakop ng [batas] kaya bilang proteksyon sa panahon ng pandemya… nagkaroon ng enhanced coverage, kasama na sila sa compulsory insurance (We have direct hires and they were not covered by the law. For additional protection this pandemic, the enhance coverage happened and they are now included),” he added.
Under the insurance program, OFWs who will be hurt during their line of service or will have permanent total disablement may get at least $7,500.
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Surviving relatives or beneficiaries of OFWs who died of natural causes while they were working abroad can get at least $10,000 or PhP500,000.
Surviving relatives or beneficiaries of OFWs who died because of an accident during the course of their work may get at least $15,000.
