Under the newly-mandanted Agency-Hired OFW Compulsory Insurance which provides compulsory insurance coverage for overseas Filipino workers hired through licensed and authorized employment agencies.
These benefits include death, disability and compassionate visit benefits. One of them is the repatriation cost benefit.
If an insured OFW terminated by an employer without any valid reason, or if the employee resigns with valid cause, the cost of airfare is covered by the insurance. This means the worker gets a free one-way air ticket back to the Philippines.
Should the OFW die, the insurance company shall also bear the cost of transporting the remains and personal belongings of the insured OFW.
Repatriation Cost Benefit can be claimed when any of the following incidents happen:
a) Illegal termination by the insured OFW’s employer – termination of work contract without valid reason;
b) Non-payment of salary;
c) Maltreatment;
d) Overworked;
e) Poor living conditions (e.g. no running water in living quarter, no proper bed, etc.);
f) Poor working conditions (e.g. non-payment of agreed bonus, no break-time during work hours, etc.); and
g) Medical reasons.
Not covered by this benefit are homesickness, loneliness, laziness, personal problems, criminal offenses and violation of Employer rules.