Hospital for overseas workers planned

Manila: Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada remains optimistic that soon Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) will have their own hospital to attend to the health needs specific to migrant workers.

Estrada, concurrent chair of the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Human Resources Development and Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Labour and Employment, says the proposed hospital becomes reasonable if only to assist OFWs amid the negative impact of the rising value of the peso against the dollar.

"Our migrant workers have been suffering economically, socially, physically.

"The government must initiate policies in order to assist them in whichever way possible," Estrada said.

Comprehensive health care service shall be available to all migrant workers who are regular contributors to overseas workers' welfare agency and their legal dependents.

Estrada also said the opinion by Migrante, an international migrant workers' organisation, concurs with the provision on budget appropriations coming from National Treasury.

A Senate Bill also gives the OFW hospital the task of ensuring that all outgoing workers would be physically and psychologically fit before working abroad.