Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act
Section 1. POEA, OWWA, and other Boards. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the respective boards of the POEA and the OWWA shall have three (3) members each who shall come from the women, sea-based and land-based sectors respectively, to be selected and nominated openly by the general membership of the sector being represented.
The selection and nomination of the additional members from the women, sea-based and land-based sectors shall be governed by the following guidelines:
(a) The POEA and OWWA shall launch a massive information campaign on the selection of nominees and provide for a system of consultative sessions for the certified leaders or representatives of the concerned sectors, at least three (3) times, within ninety days (90) before the Boards shall be convened, for purposes of selection. The process shall be open, democratic and transparent.
(b) Only non-government organizations that protect and promote the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers, duly registered with the appropriate Philippine government agency and in good standing as such, and in existence for at least three (3) years prior to the nomination shall be qualified to nominate a representative for each sector to the Board;
(c) The nominee must be at least 25 years of age, able to read and write, and a migrant worker at the time of his/her nomination or was a migrant worker with at least three (3) years experience as such;
(d) A Selection and Screening Committee shall be established within the POEA and OWWA by the Secretary of Labor and Employment to formulate the procedures on application, screening and consultation, and shall be responsible to provide the list of qualified nominees to the respective Governing Boards; and
(e) The final list of all the nominees selected by the OWWA/POEA Governing Boards, which shall consist of three (3) names for each sector to be represented, shall be submitted to the President and published in a newspaper of general circulation.
Incumbent representatives appointed pursuant to this section and who are eligible for re-appointment shall be automatically included in the list referred to under subsection (d).
Within thirty (30) days from the submission of the final list referred to under subsection (e), the President shall select and appoint from the list the representatives to the POEA/OWWA Governing Boards.
The members shall have a term of three (3) years and shall be eligible for reappointment for another three (3) years. In case of vacancy, the President shall, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, appoint a replacement who shall serve the unexpired term of his/her predecessor.
All other government agencies and government-owned or controlled corporations which require at least one (1) representative from the overseas workers sector to their respective boards shall follow all the applicable provisions of this section, subject to the respective Charters, Implementing Rules and Regulations, and internal policies of such agencies and corporations.
The existing members of the Governing Boards of POEA and OWWA representing the women, land-based, or sea-based sectors shall serve the remaining portion of their three-year terms. Thereafter, their positions shall be deemed vacant, and the process of selection of their replacement shall be in accordance with this section. If the incumbent is eligible for re-appointment, he/she shall continue to serve until re-appointed or another person is appointed in accordance with this section.
Incumbent representatives in the Governing Board with no fixed term shall remain in holdover capacity, until a replacement is appointed in accordance with this section.