AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE REGULATORY FUNCTIONS OF THE PHILIPPINE OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION (POEA)

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Republic Act No. 9422

Strengthening the Regulatory Functions of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)

- Amends Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as the "Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995"
- Grants additional powers and functions to the POEA (Section 1):
    - Regulate private sector participation in the recruitment and overseas placement of workers through a licensing and registration system.
    - Formulate and implement a system for promoting and monitoring the overseas employment of Filipino workers, considering their welfare and domestic manpower requirements.
    - Inform migrant workers of their rights as workers and human beings, instruct them on how to assert their rights, and provide mechanisms to redress violations of their rights.
    - Deploy workers only to countries where the Philippines has concluded bilateral labor agreements or arrangements, provided that these countries guarantee to protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers and observe international laws and standards for migrant workers (Section 1).
- Repeals Sections 29 and 30 of Republic Act No. 8042 (Sections 2 and 3).
- Repeals, amends, or modifies any laws, orders, issuances, rules, or regulations inconsistent with this Act (Section 4).
- Separability clause: If any portion or provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other portions or provisions shall not be affected (Section 5).
- Effectivity clause: This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation (Section 6).