Manila – Speaker Martin Romualdez announced on Thursday that the House of Representatives is pushing forward with a bill to expand legal aid for overseas Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). House Bill 9035, which aims to extend the scope of the Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) and the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo Para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund, received overwhelming support in the House, passing with 246 affirmative votes.
According to Philippines News Agency, the bill, set to amend Section 26 of Republic Act (RA) 8042, or the ‘Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995,’ will expand the LAF’s scope from legal aid to include consular assistance for overseas Filipinos.
The bill stipulates that the LAF will cover expenses from the investigation stage to the trial proper and all levels of appeal thereafter. It will also cover fees for foreign lawyers, expenses for filing cases against erring employers abroad, bail bonds, and other litigation expenses. In countries without Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) offices, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will provide legal and other forms of assistance to OFWs. The AKSYON Fund under HB 9035, amending Section 14 of RA 11641, will have similar coverage to the LAF. The bill also exempts urgent actions under this measure from the coverage of RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Act.
Additionally, the House unanimously approved House Bill (HB) 9292, mandating a personal financial literacy course in the curriculum of Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) training centers. This bill aims to equip students with knowledge and skills in wealth management and financial decision-making, focusing on personal finance and aligning with guidelines set by TESDA, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Department of Finance (DOF), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Insurance Commission (IC).