Filipinos who have spent many years working in Saudi Arabia could benefit from a proposed Philippine law seeking to establish a separate pension fund for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Senate Bill No. 252, known as the proposed OFW Pension Act of 2025, seeks to provide qualified OFWs with a monthly pension of at least Php 5,000 upon retirement.
The measure, however, is still a proposal and not yet an existing OFW benefit.
Long-Time OFWs Could Qualify at Age 60
Under the Senate proposal, an OFW would need to be at least 60 years old upon retirement and have accumulated at least 15 years of overseas employment.
The proposed fund particularly covers OFWs engaged in manual, skilled, or technical occupations requiring physical labor, specialized training, or vocational skills.
This could be relevant to many Filipinos who have spent much of their working lives in Saudi Arabia, including workers in construction, engineering support, maintenance, hospitality, healthcare support, and other skilled occupations.
Proposed Benefit Starts at Php 5,000 Per Month
Eligible OFWs would be entitled to receive a pension of at least Php 5,000 every month under the proposal.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) would be tasked with establishing the pension plan and administering the OFW Pension Fund.
Importantly, the proposed OFW pension would be separate from SSS or GSIS pensions.
This means the proposal is designed to create an additional retirement support system specifically for qualified overseas workers.
House Has Its Own OFW Pension Proposal
A similar proposal is now pending in the House of Representatives.
House Bill No. 11257 was filed on September 10, 2026 and seeks to establish an Overseas Filipino Workers Pension Fund.
Official House records show that the bill remains pending with the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs.
The existence of proposals in both chambers does not mean the benefit has already been approved.
No Application Yet for Saudi OFWs
For Filipinos working in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, and other parts of Saudi Arabia, there is no application process for the proposed Php 5,000 pension yet.
OFWs should wait for official announcements instead of providing personal information to unofficial pages claiming to accept pension applications.
The amount, eligibility rules, funding system, and application procedures could also change as the measures move through Congress.