Section 4Sec./Art. 4

Amendment. - Subparagraph (b.l) of paragraph (b) of Section 23 of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Section 23. Role of Government Agencies. The following government agencies shall perform the following to promote the welfare and protect the rights of migrant workers and, as far as applicable, all overseas Filipinos:

"(a) Department of Foreign Affairs x x x

"(b) Department of Labor and Employment The Department of Labor and Employment shall see to it that labor and social welfare laws in the foreign countries are fairly applied to migrant workers and whenever applicable, to other overseas Filipinos including the grant of legal assistance and the referral to proper medical centers or hospitals;

"(b.1) Philippine Overseas Employment Administration x x x

"In addition to its powers and functions, the Administration shall inform migrant workers not only of their rights as workers but also of their rights as human beings, instruct and guide the workers how to assert their rights and provide the available mechanism to redress violation of their rights.

"The Administration is hereby mandated to develop, publish, disseminate and update periodically a Handbook on the rights and responsibilities of migrant workers as provided by Philippine laws and the existing labor and social laws of the countries of destination that will protect and guarantee the rights of migrant workers. The Handbook shall be written in simple words that can be easily understood with translation in local language as may be necessary.

"It shall also be responsible for the implementation, in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, of an intensified program against illegal recruitment activities. For this purpose, the POEA shall provide comprehensive gender-sensitive Pre-employment Orientation Seminars (PEOS) that will discuss topics not only on the prevention of illegal recruitment but also on the content of the Handbook on the rights and responsibilities of migrant workers.1wphi1

"x x x."