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DUBAI — Filipino expatriates will soon be covered by a mandatory insurance scheme that will see them through the hassles of litigation and repatriation expenses if they run away or file cases in their host country against  their employers.

Philippine Senator Jinggoy Estrada, son of former President Erap Estrada and chairman of the Labor and Employment Committee in the Senate, told runaway helpers at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Deira that the proposed legislation will be treated in the bicameral committee session by Wednesday, September 24, the last step for it to be passed into a law.

Senator Jinggoy said the ongoing insurance provision will amend Section 10-A of the Migrant Workers Act, which provides only an option for the recruitment agency sending the overseas Filipino workers to cover him  with insurance. “Once the amendment is passed, all manpower recruitment agencies in the Philippines are required to purchase an insurance coverage for the worker, which will underwrite any litigation expenses in court and his repatriation if he runs away as a result of maltreatment, violation of labour contract, physical and verbal abuse,” he said. At present, Filipino workers are just covered by a life insurance with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) which provides compensation and cash benefits to the next of kin like parents if single or wife and children if married.

The OWWA coverage also provides compensation for partial or complete disability due to an accident at the place of work. The new mandatory coverage, Senator Estrada said, will provide both life and non-life like legal fees, one way ticket for repatriation and other compensations such as $100 a month for a maximum of six months for personal needs while they wait for their cases to be resolved and the final repatriation from POLO-OWWA.

The amendment to the Migrant Workers Act was sponsored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada at the Senate and by Representative Wycorat Zamora of the Compustela Valley District, chairman of the Migrant Workers Committee at the House of the Representatives, to alleviate the plight of some Filipino workers abroad. Estrada is here in Dubai mainly to present air tickets to 40 stranded household helpers — 35 at POLO in Abu Dhabi and five at POLO Dubai.

The air tickets were promised by former President Erap Estrada during his visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi this year. The five who are scheduled to go home to Manila with Senator Estrada from POLO in Dubai are Guane D. Gonzalez, Liza G. Mabugnon, Fahima M. Langcap, Jurteza P. Cabuat and Elma Kali