Senate Bill 252, the proposed OFW Pension Act, would give eligible overseas Filipino workers a monthly pension of at least ₱5,000 after retirement. Note that it is still a proposal, and nobody can apply for the benefit yet.
If you work abroad as a caregiver, driver, or in a skilled trade, this bill is aimed at you. It covers OFWs in manual, skilled or technical jobs, and its text says the pension would be separate from the one OFWs may get through the Social Security System (SSS), according to the bill as filed in the Senate.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo filed the measure on July 8, 2025, at the start of the 20th Congress, and listed it among his priority bills. “Our OFWs are hailed as modern-day heroes, but most of them do not receive the protection they deserve,” Tulfo said.
The bill makes the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) the lead agency. The DMW would design the pension plan and manage the fund, and the bill gives it 90 days after enactment to issue implementing rules.
At an OFW Serbisyo Caravan in Milan, Italy, on October 16, 2025, Tulfo said caretakers, house cleaners, domestic helpers, drivers and gardeners who are currently working abroad would be covered, and that the pension would come on top of SSS benefits.
Eligibility details are less clear. One Kabayan Lexcode explainer reports a requirement of 15 years of overseas work and age 60.
Where the bill stands
An explainer from Taiwan OFW said the bill was pending at the committee stage as of August 2025. Tech Pilipinas found no report of a committee approval or plenary vote since then.
Tulfo, as sponsor of the DMW’s 2026 budget, said he would raise OFW protection funding during Senate budget deliberations, per the Manila Bulletin.
The House has its own versions. House Bill 5700, filed by the Revillas, would cover OFWs who are at least 55 years old with 15 years of overseas work, and would draw 25 percent of funding each from the PCSO Charity Fund and the Maharlika Investment Fund.
A newer measure, House Bill 11257 by Rep. Roberto Nazal, was filed on September 10, 2026 and has been pending at the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs since September 15.
Pension proposals for OFWs have surfaced before. A 2023 bill, the Kabayan OFW Pension Act, would have required SSS membership and payroll deductions.
Final rules on the amount, contributions, age and years of service will depend on committee hearings in both chambers. For now, no pension can be filed or claimed under any of these bills.
