Section 3Sec./Art. 3

Definition of Terms. As used in this Act, the following terms and phrases are defined as follows:

(a) Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund. the fund created under Section 14 of this Act to provide legal, medical, financial, and other forms of assistance to Overseas Filipino Workers including repatriation, shipment of remains, evacuation, rescue, and any other analogous help or intervention to protect the rights of Filipino nationals;

(b) Ethical recruitment refers to the lawful hiring of workers in a fair and transparent manner that respects and protects their dignity and human rights;

(c) In distress an overseas Filipino, regardless of immigration status, who has a medical, psychosocial, or legal problem, or is experiencing abuse or exploitation, or whose human rights are being violated, or is in a country in actual or potential war, civil unrest, pandemic or other analogous circumstances and situations, and requires medical treatment, hospitalization, counseling, legal representation, rescue, repatriation, or any other kind of analogous intervention, including the repatriation of remains;

(d) License refers to the document issued by the Secretary of the Department authorizing a natural or juridical person to operate a private recruitment or manning agency;

(e) Manning agency refers to a natural or juridical person duly licensed by the Secretary of the Department to engage in the recruitment and placement of seafarers;

(f) Overseas employment refers to employment outside the Philippines;

(g) Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) refers to a Filipino who is to be engaged, is engaged, or has been engaged in remunerated activity in a country of which he or she is not an immigrant, citizen, or permanent resident or is not awaiting naturalization, recognition, or admission, whether land-based or sea-based regardless of status; excluding a Filipino engaged under a government-recognized exchange visitor program for cultural and educational purposes. For purposes of this provision, a person engaged in remunerated activity covers a person who has been contracted for overseas employment but has yet to leave the Philippines, regardless of status, and includes Overseas Contract Workers. The term OFW is synonymous to Migrant Worker;

(h) Recruitment agency refers to a natural or juridical person duly licensed by the Secretary of the Department to engage in the recruitment and placement of land-based OFWs;

(i) Reintegration program refers to a measure or a set of measures intended for mainstreaming and sustainable return of OFWs into Philippine society, including, but not limited to, livelihood projects, wellness programs, financial literacy programs and other similar projects: Provided, That reintegration programs shall be based on the specific needs and skills of the returning OFWs; and

(j) Seafarer refers to an OFW who is engaged in employment in any capacity on board a merchant marine vessel plying international waters or other sea-based craft of similar category. For purposes of this Act, it shall include fishers onboard commercial fishing vessels on international waters or as defined under relevant maritime conventions, cruise ship personnel, yacht crew, those serving on mobile offshore and drilling units in the high seas, and other persons similarly situated.