PROVIDING A MEDICAL CARE PROGRAM TO FILIPINO OVERSEAS CONTRACT WORKERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS AND PRESCRIBING THE MECHANISM THEREFOR

WHEREAS, it is the avowed policy
of the government to provide adequate medical care services to the people;

WHEREAS, under the present
policy, among the private working sector, only members of the Social Security
System who are employed within the Philippines are compulsorily covered by the
Philippine Medical Care Program (Law);

WHEREAS, studies show that a
large number of overseas contract workers and their dependents, which comprise
a significant portion of the Filipino population, are not assured of any
medical care, in view of the lack of a program with a compulsory coverage;

WHEREAS, Filipino Overseas
Contract Workers and their dependents must likewise be assisted in their
medical care expenses consistent with the policy for their counterpart local
workers and their dependents;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Medical
Care Commission, the Department of Labor and Employment thru the Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration and the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Social Security
System have enough facilities and manpower to ensure the effective and
efficient medical care coverage of the Filipino Overseas Contract Workers and
their dependents under a program similar to Program I of the Philippine Medical
Care Plan;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V.
RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by
law, do hereby order:

Section 1. Filipinos recruited
for employment abroad, herein referred to as Filipino Overseas Contract Workers
or members, shall be compulsorily covered by the Philippine Medical Care
Program pursuant to Section 31 of P.D. 1519, as amended, otherwise known as the
Philippine Medical Care Law,  without having to enroll themselves as SSS
members.

Sec. 2. Dependents of Filipino
Overseas Contract Workers shall also be covered with Medicare benefits through
the membership of the latter.

Sec. 3. The premium
contributions and benefits of the Filipino Overseas Contract Workers and their
dependents shall be the same as those provided for SSS members under Program I
of the Philippine Medical Care Plan.

Sec. 4. The compulsory coverage
shall not apply to Filipino Overseas Contract Workers with existing coverage of
the Philippine Medical Care Program acquired thru the SSS voluntary basis
coverage pursuant to Section 9(b) of R.A. 1161, as amended, known as the SSS
Law.

Sec. 5. The Rules and
Regulations Implementing the Philippine Medical Care Law, Administrative Orders
and/or Circulars issued by the Philippine Medical Care Commission, insofar
as they are not inconsistent with this Order, shall also apply to the Medical
Care Program coverage of the Filipino Overseas Contract Workers.

Sec. 6. The services,
facilities, and the staff of the PMCC, SSS, DOLE thru OWWA and POEA, and the
DFA shall be utilized for the implementation of this Order. Rules and
Regulations defining the powers and functions of the said agencies and such
other provisions necessary to implement this Order shall be adopted by the
agencies thru a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the respective heads of
Agencies.

Sec. 7. The OWWA shall provide
the seed money necessary to start the operations of this program as shall be
determined thru actuarial computations. The OWWA shall administer the funds of
the program which shall be kept distinct and separate from all funds
administered by the said agency.

Sec. 8. This Executive Order
shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this
13th day of August in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and
ninety-four.

(Sgd.) FIDEL
V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) TEOFISTO T. GUINGONA, JR.
Executive Secretary

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