President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a directive not to require Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to pay premiums payments to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Malacañang said Monday.
The President also mandated that the PhilHealth payment should not be a requirement for the issuance of overseas employment certificate.
In a televised press briefing on Monday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said OFWs shall only pay contribution on a voluntary basis to the state insurer.
PhilHealth recently issued a circular reiterating the premium payments of OFWs whose monthly income range from P10,000 to P60,000 to pay 3% of their salary for the premium this year, as stated in the Universal Health Care Law, which Duterte signed last year.
The memorandum took effect on April 22 but was met with an online protest from various groups of Filipino workers abroad.
