Lawmaker requires recruitment agencies to translate employment

contracts in Filipino or any major indigenous language

A lawmaker is proposing to require all recruitment agencies, employment agencies,
labor providers and direct-hiring employers of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs to
provide a parallel translation in Filipino or in any of the ma!or "hilippine #egional of
$ndigenous %anguages, of the employment contracts that the OFWs will sign before their
deployment abroad&
#ep& 'uan 'ohnny #evilla ("arty-list, OFW Family said the translation of the
employment contract into a language with which the OFW is familiar with will avoid
misunderstanding or doubt about the term of the contract&
()he translation of the employment contract shall include the condition of his
employment, the compensation and benefits, period of employment, working hours, health
and safety issues, among others,* #evilla said&
According to #evilla, there have been many cases of misunderstanding,
misinterpretation, confusion and eventual conflict between recruitment agencies or
employment agencies, labor providers or direct hiring foreign employers and OFWs on
issues of their condition of employment as stated in the employment contracts which only
provide and +nglish te,t and the language of the host country&
(An OFW who is not well versed in the +nglish language is usually at a
disadvantage as the employment contracts are usually interpreted in the language that an
OFW has difficulty comprehending,* #evilla stressed&
)he proposed measure requires the mandatory translation of employment contracts
and any of its anne,es and attachments prepared by recruitment agencies, employment
agencies, labor providers or direct-hiring foreign employers that Filipino Workers will
sign before they will be deployed overseas&
-ouse .ill /012 directs the "hilippine Overseas +mployment Administration
("O+A to determine, define and disseminate information regarding the requirements& $t
shall be responsible for the monitoring compliance of recruitment agencies with this Act&
A fine of "34,555 shall be imposed on any recruitment agency, employment agency,
labor provider or direct hire foreign employer who will violate the provisions of this Act&
(15 lvc
NR # 3574
AUG 30, 2014