COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

University of the Philippines Manila

HANDBOOK ON
THE UPCM RETURNSERVICE
Obligation PROGRAM

For Students starting Learning Unit 1(Direct Entrants) or Learning Unit 3(Lateral Entrants) during Academic Year2024-2025

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This handbook is the ANNEX to the Return Service Agreement(RSA) Contract which includes:
Part 1> Vision Mission of the UPCM
> Historical Background and Rationale of
the Return Service Obligation Program

Part II > Implementing Rules & Regulations (IRR)2

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PagePART I
Vision-Mission of the UPCM
Historical Background of the UPCM RSO
Rationale for the Return Service Obligation

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PART II
Implementing Rules & Regulations
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II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
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XI

Admission Requirements
Obligations of UPCM Medical Students
Obligation of the UPCM Graduates
Coordinating, Monitoring
Evaluation and Placement OfficePre-termination and Penalties
Student and Graduate Records
Prior to Completion of the
Return Service Obligation
Appeals Committee
Dispute Settlement
Terms of Payment
Affectivity
Amendments

Glossary
Reply Slip
Officers of Administration

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PART 1VISION AND MISSION OF THE U.P. MANILACOLLEGE OF MEDICINEVISION
A community of scholars; highly competent in the field of medicine with aheightened social consciousness; imbued with moral, ethical and spiritualvigor; dedicated to a life of learning; committed to the development ofPhilippine society; inspired by love, compassion and respect for the dignityof human life; and anchored on the principles of Truth, Freedom, Justice,Love of Country and the Democratic Way of life.

MISSION
Guided by moral, ethical and spiritual values; we commit ourselves to excellence and leadership in community-oriented medical education, researchand service; using the Primary Health Care Approach; intended especiallyfor the underserved.

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE UPCM RETURN SERVICEOBLIGATIONThe Philippine Medical School, now known as the University of the Philippines
Manila-College of Medicine (UPCM), was established on December 1, 1905
(Commonwealth Act No. 1415) to address the critical lack of physicians duringthat time. The only other existing school then was the University of Santo Tomas.
In 1915, there was an increase in demand for UPCM graduates due to the
expansion of government health services, but there were few takers. The
government thus required all entrants to the College during that year to sign acontract committing themselves to at least two years of government service after
graduation. In exchange, the students received a waiver of tuition fees for thewhole five years of medical school. This contract was practically forgotten after
resolution of the problem by 1920 (Cordero, 2007).
At present, the UPCM is recognized as the premier medical school in the country,
and has graduated 8,241 physicians since 1909 (Leopando, 2005). The College isstate-funded, which means that 90% of its funds come from the National
Government (Leopando, 2005). In 2007, the UPCM was allocated 3.2% for the
total budget allotment for the University of the Philippines System (UPM Budget
Office, 2007).
In 2004, the cost of medical education in the UPCM was estimated to be Php
186,508.75 (including internship) for each student. Given this arrangement, theFilipino people (taxpayers) should be considered as a valued stakeholder group inreaping the benefits from educating the UPCM graduates.
In 1985, the UPCM implemented the Regionalization Program which sought to address the inequitable distribution of physicians in the country.
The mission of the UPCM, reformulated in 1992, is to commit its graduates to
excellence and leadership in community-oriented medical education, research andservice; using the Primary Health Care Approach, intended especially for theunderserved. The College envisions itself as a community of scholars, highly
competent in the field of medicine, with a heightened social consciousness,
committed to the development of Philippine society. The general public and thepolicy makers in government have high expectations that the College deliver on its
mission and vision statements, return of their investment therefore, becomes a
critical issue, particularly when confronted with the alarming inequities of thePhilippine health care system.

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RATIONALE FOR THE RETURN SERVICE OBLIGATIONThe Philippines has been a major source of health professionals to many countries
and is acknowledged as a major exporter of nurses and physicians, only second to
India (Aiken, 2004; Bach, 2003). Fluency in English and renowned skills indemonstrating compassion, humanness and patience in caring, are the reasons why
Filipino nurses and doctors continue to be in great demand globally the past four
decades (Galvez Tan et al., 2004). During the mid-seventies, 68% of Filipino
doctors were working outside the Philippines (Mejia, 1979). If this trend persists,
the Department of Health revealed that the country would have a deficit of 7.401
doctors by 2030 (DOH, 2007).
Health human resource development (HHRD) includes the triad of human resources
for health planning, production and management. In this context, the HHRD
incorporates functions pertaining to a range of activities, from recruitment,
deployment, utilization and retention of health personnel. This highlights theimportance of ensuring an adequate national supply of health care providers andretaining them in the service of the country (Rebulllida and Lorenzo, 2002).
Since the 1990’s, concerns regarding the lack of human resources for health havebeen increasingly recognized. The lack of a unifying and comprehensive national
plan embracing all health professionals that will look into the needs of humanresources for health poses a major obstacle in human resource management anddevelopment.
In 2004, activities towards developing a master plan alleviating this problem
gained headway. A thorough analysis revealed the following: (1) data on humanresources for health are either incomplete or non-existent; these include data fromthe private sector, human resources distribution, data on domestic and international
employment and other relevant aspects of human resources for health; (2) private
practitioners tend to concentrate in urban sites, while an increasing number of themwere leaving the country for more lucrative opportunities overseas; lastly, (3)evaluation of the curriculum of health science professionals revealed that thelearning curricula were more content-based than problem or situation based andthat there was a bias towards western educational and health systems. This results
into a mismatch between training and actual practice.

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In February 2019, the Universal Health Care Act (RA 11223) was signed intolaw. It contained provisions on a return service agreement. Section 26 of RA
11223 states that “all graduates of health-related courses who are recipients ofgovernment-funded scholarship programs shall be required to serve in priority
areas in the public sector…”
RA 11223 further stipulates for the reorientation of health sciences education
towards the provision of primary care services. This will hopefully enablegraduate to be competent and ready to work within the Philippine health caresystem.
RA 11509 or the “Doktor Para Sa Bayan Act” was signed into law in December
23, 2020. Section 14 of this law states that “State Universities and Colleges
shall review, modify and enhance the medical education curriculum to prepare
the scholars to work in community-based health programs”. This will be acollaboration among CHED and the SUC’s. This will help prepare the scholars
for their return service work, and possibly for their career in the Philippine
health care system. This highlights the important role of the curriculum in the
success of any return service obligation program.
On the other hand, state schools, like the UPCM have critical roles to play inhealth human resource development. Their primordial role is to produce anadequate number of doctors who will meet the critical objective of providing
quality care to those who have the least means and opportunities for attaining
optimum health. Another important role of the College is to provide the righttype of doctors who will passionately be committed to serving the evolving
needs of the Philippine health care system.
It is in this context that the UPCM is seriously taking the challenge ofdeveloping sound policy instruments in relation to formulating andimplementing a return service obligation of its graduates.

4Part II

Implementing Rules andRegulations (IRR) of the
UPCM RSOP

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RULE IADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Section 1: All applicants for admission to the UPCM from all the entrance categories
have three (3) absolute admission requirements:a. General weighted average grade of 2.5 or betterb. NMAT score of 90th percentile or betterc. Signed Return Service Agreement Contract and a signed Surety Agreement
Section 2: Parent (s) / guardian (s) are co-signatories on all contracts with the
University of the Philippines Manila as the last step to complete the applications to
the UPCM.
Section 3: All candidates for admission to the UPCM who signified their intention
to be considered for the Regionalization Program (RP) as written on their Application
Form and who, upon application, have been oriented with regard to the essence,
goals, and requirements of the RP, are required to sign a legally binding contract.
The ASAL (Acceptance to Serve and Assumption of Liability) Agreement binds thestudent to render service in her/his region or in an identified under- served locality in
the Philippines, after graduation. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are made co-signatories to the
ASAL. Said candidates are considered RP applicants even if they also signified theiradditional intention of being considered in the other entrance categories. Please referto the Primer on the Regionalization Program.
Section 4. WHO MAY APPLY TO THE REGIONALIZATION PROGRAM (RP)
1. He/She must fulfill the minimum requirements for admission to the College ofMedicine.

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RULE IIOBLIGATIONS OF UPCM MEDICAL STUDENTS
Section 1: The UPCM medical student, while being guided by the VisionMission of the institution, shall fulfill the following obligations prior tograduation:
a. Participate in all curricular activities from Learning Unit 1 to 7
or from Learning Unit 3 to 7.
b. Participate in all Career-Guidance activities under the
Mentoring Program.
c. Participate in all other activities that are required for graduationfrom the UPCM.
Section 2: The UPCM medical student is also strongly encouraged to engage inextracurricular activities that aim to prepare him/her for return service work
such as community-university partnership programs, community immersion
programs, student conferences (examples: National Medical Students’Conference, Medical Students’ Summit, Philippine Conference on Community
Health) and other relevant volunteer activities with various government
institutions, non-government institutions, faith-based organizations &community-based organizations.

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RULE IIIOBLIGATIONS OF UPCM GRADUATES
Section 1: The UPCM medical graduate shall obtain a Philippine Medical License
within 2 years from the date of her/his UPCM graduation.
Section 2: The UPCM medical graduate except those under the Regionalization
Program shall complete her/his 3 years of return service obligation work within 5
years from the date of her/his UPCM graduation.
Section 3: The UPCM medical graduate except those under the Regionalization
Program shall practice in any part of the Philippines, in any of the following 6
fields for as long as it is in her/his capacity as a physician.
a. Public Health or Community Medicine—such as, but not limited to
the following: Municipal/City/Provincial/Regional Health Officer
work, Doctors to the Barrio, DOH work, working with NGO’s orworking with faith-based organizations in the field of public health orcommunity medicine.
b. Primary Care– such as, but not limited to the following: in-housephysician work, working as a staff physician in a government or
private clinic.
c. Research—must be in the field of health or medicine.
d. Academe (Teaching) - must be in the field of health or medicine and witha Higher Education Institution (HEI). These HEI’s include the following:
allied health professions, community development, dentistry, medicine,
nursing, nutrition pharmacy, public health and social work.
e. Clinical Residency—must be in an accredited government or private
hospital program.
f. 3rd Post-High School Masters or Doctoral Degree Program—must
be from a Philippine-based institution provided that the UPCM graduate
goes through the thesis option. The aforementioned thesis must be
approved by the UPCM to ensure that it will assist in strengthening &developing the Philippine health care system. It will be given credit
only for the length of the program’s minimum full-time residency timeframe.

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Section 4: The UPCM MD-PhD graduate shall render eight (8) years of returnservice work as stipulated within her/his contract with the Department of Scienceand Technology. However, 3 of those 8 years of return service work must be in
the options stipulated in Rule III, Section 3 in order for the graduates to fulfill her/
his return service obligation with the UPCM. The MD-PhD graduate will only becleared by the UPCM after he/she complete the 8 years of return service with UP
and DOST, including the provisions on the UPCM’s five options for its 3-year
RSA.
Section 5: The UPCM medical graduate who is under another return service
program shall be required to adhere to the UPCM RSOP Obligations stated in thisIRR in full. The graduate is required to discuss the details of the other programwith the UPCM in order to determine the options that will enable her/him tosatisfactorily fulfill all her/his obligations with the various institutions requiring
return service work.
Section 6: The UPCM medical graduate shall submit to the Return Service
Obligation Program Committee every December and June a report of her/his
return service work activities. This will start from the December after graduation
and will be up to the completion of his or her return service obligation. The
graduate is required to fill up the google form.

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RULE IV
COORDINATING, MONITORING, EVALUATION
AND PLACEMENTThe Return Service Obligation Program (RSOP) Committee will assist in theplacement of the UPCM graduates.
The RSOP Committee will monitor the return service obligation work of the
UPCM graduates, collate the yearly google form entries of the graduates andvalidate these reports.
The RSOP Committee will also ensure incorporation of updates/, enhancements
or additional recommendations from various institutions, sectors and stakeholder
as well as lessons from local and international examples into the UPCM Return
Service Obligation Program.
RULE V
PRE-TERMINATION AND PENALTIES
Section 1: Pre-termination from this agreement due to any reason shall entail apayback equivalent to double the cost of medical education up to the year levelcompleted up to the last month the student attended classes (in LU3 or
LU4) or rotated (in LU5 or LU6 or LU7).
Section 2: Should the student who pre-terminated have concerns about the
payback, the issues will be settled in the Appeals Committee.
* The amendments in Rule V – Pre-termination and Penalties, Sections 1 & 2 asapproved by the BOR on its 1314th meeting on January 29, 2016 shall apply
retroactively EXCEPT on decided cases.
Section 3: Pre-termination from this by a student under the MD-PhD program ora student under any other return service program shall entail a payback TO
BOTH the UPCM which will be equivalent to double the cost of medical
education up to the year level completed or currently in, and to the otherinstitution such as the DOST (for MD-PhD students) or the DOH (for the Pinoy
MD program) which will be equivalent to whatever amount is stipulated in her/
his contract with the aforementioned institution.

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RULE VI
STUDENT AND GRADUATE RECORDS PRIOR TO COMPLETION
OF THE RETURN SERVICE OBLIGATION

Section 1: Transcript of Records requested before the completion of the Return
Service Obligation shall bear the following statements:
a. For White TOR - Valid in the Philippines for evaluation
purposes only and not for employment
b. For Brown TOR - Subject to compliance with the Return Service
Agreement. Valid for employment within the Philippines only
Section 2: Request for authentication of medical education records from
hospitals/institutions abroad other than for off-campus elective courses shall bedenied before completion of the RSA.
Section 3: Request for a Dean’s Letter of Recommendation for out-of-thecountry education/training other than for off-campus elective courses shall bedenied before completion of the RSA.
Section 4: Request for a UPCM faculty to give a Letter of Recommendation otherthan for off-campus elective courses shall be denied before completion of the
RSA.
Section 5: All UPCM students and graduates who will request for any form of
document, certification or credentials verification for purposes of applying for
the US-MLE or any equivalent foreign examination, will be required to open an
escrow account or get a surety bond from UPM-accredited financial agencies. An
escrow account or a surety bond is necessary to ensure adherence to the RSA or
ASAL Contracts because the ECFMG informed the UPCM that a foreign
medical graduate who wishes to apply for residency program training in the
U.S.A. would only be required one verification. This single verification will behonored for BOTH steps 1 & 2 of the USMLE and for matching for a residency
training program in the U.S.A as well. This will therefore allow a UPCM
graduate to leave at any time for a residency training program in the U.S.A.
without the knowledge of the University. Therefore, the UPCM is requiring anescrow account or surety bond equivalent to the full reneging fee prior toverification of records for the MLE and for other exams with the same policy onverification for the exam and residency or job application.

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RULE VIIAPPEALS COMMITTEE
Section 1: The UPCM RSOP Appeals Committee will cover all UPCM
students and graduates, including those who are also under the RP and the
MD-PhD Program.
Section 2: The members of the Appeals Committee are the ff:
A. College Secretary
B. Associate Dean for Faculty and Students
C. UP Manila Legal Officer
D. Chair, UP Medicine Student Council
E. Chair, UPCM RSOP
F. Chair, UPCM Regionalization Program
Section 3: The Chair of the Appeals Committee is the College Secretary
Section 4: The functions of the Appeals Committee are:a. To discuss all issues regarding the adherence of the students andgraduates to the provisions stated in the RSA and in the IRR.
b. To formulate recommendations on all issues regarding theadherence of the students and graduates to the RSA and in the
IRR, such as, but not limited to pre-termination of medical
studies or validity of return service work in relation to Rule III.
Section III:
Section 5: The decisions of the Appeals Committee will be endorsed to the
UPCM Dean for approval by the UP Manila Chancellor.

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RULE VIIIDISPUTE SETTLEMENT
Section 1: In case of a dispute between the Parties arising from the breach by
the UPCM student or graduate of his/ her obligations under the RSA or ASAL
Agreement, the Parties agree to freely and voluntarily submit themselves tothe necessary consultation and negotiation for purposes of amicably settling
the dispute.
Section 2: Should the Parties fail to reach an amicable settlement, any
dispute or controversy arising from this Agreement shall be submitted toarbitration in accordance with Law (RA 9285). The competent courts ofManila shall have jurisdiction over these cases if legal action is resorted to.
RULE IXTERMS OF PAYMENTIn the event that the UPCM medical student or graduate shall not be able tohonor her or his obligations to the RSOP, the penalty as determined by the
Appeals Committee and confirmed by the UPCM Dean and the UP Manila
Chancellor, shall be paid in full within 6 months, either in cash or check infavor of the UP College of Medicine.
RULE X
EFFECTIVITY
This Implementing Rules and Regulations of the RSOP and the RP, asamended shall be effective upon the approval of the UP Board of Regents forall students for admission as LU1 students & LU3 students for academic year
2016-2017
RULE XIAMENDMENTS
All amendments to the RSOP, the RP and to the IRR of both programs must
be approved as needed, by the UPCM Dean, the UPCM College Council, theUP Manila Chancellor, the UP Manila University Council or the UP Board ofRegents

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GLOSSARY
ASAL
CM
CLO
CPO
DOH
HHRD
IRR
IP
LGU
MRR
NMAT
PGIM
PRC
RP
RPC
RPAA
RPAO
RSA
RSOP
RSO
UP
UPM
UPCM
UPMAS
UPMASABROWN TOR
WHITE TOR

Acceptance to Serve & Assumption of Liability
College of Medicine
Community Liaison Officer
Coordinating and Placement Office
Department of Health
Human Health Resource Development
Implementing Rules and Regulations
Indigenous People
Local Government Unit
Maximum Residency Rule
National Medical Admission Test
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine
Professional Regulatory Commission
Regionalization Program
Regionalization Program Committee
Regionalization Program Alumni Association
Regionalization Program Alumni Organization
Return Service Agreement (NOTE: This is theContract)
Return Service Obligation Program
Regionalization Students Organization
University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines Manila
University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine
University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society
University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society
in America
Given to those who already have clearance. It is given
either to a graduate or for those who have transferred.
Used for reference.

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REPLY SLIP

Please submit together with your Application Form and other admissions requirements.
Incomplete Application forms will not be accepted.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - REPLY SLIP

I certify that I have read and understood the policies and the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)
governing the Return Service Agreement (RSA) /ASAL Agreement and for this purpose, hereby manifest my acceptance and/or faithful adherence thereto.

Signature over printed name:15
ApplicantDate:

Guardian (S)11UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MANILACOLLEGE OF MEDICINEOFFICERS OF ADMINISTRATIONMICHAEL L. TEE, MD, MHPEd, MBA
Chancellor
CHARLOTTE M. CHIONG, MD, PhD
Dean
ABNER L. CHAN, MD
College Secretary

MARIA ANTONIA E. HABANA, MD, MSc
Special Assistant to the Dean

CORALIE THERESE D. DIMACALI, MD
Associate Dean for Academic Development
AGNES L. SORIANO-ESTRELLA,
Assistant

JERICHO THADDEUS P. LUNA, MD
Assistant to the Dean for Alumni Affairs
RODY G. SY, MD
Resource Generation Office

MA. LIZA ANTOINETTE M. GONZALES, MD, MSc
Associate Dean for Faculty & Students
TERESA LUISA G. CRUZ, MD, MHPEd
BENJAMIN P. SABLAN, JR., MD, MDM
Director, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine
Assistant / Chair, Admission Committee
KAREN JUNE P. DUMLAO, MD
Assistant
JOSE JOVEN V. CRUZ, MD, MPH
Associate Dean for Planning & Development
ANGELA S. AGUILAR, MD, MSc, MBA
ARSENIO CLARO A. CABUNGCAL, MD
Assistant to the Dean for External & International
ANA MELISSA F. HILVANO-CABUNGCAL, MD
Linkages
Assistant
ANTHONY GERONIMO H. CORDERO
MARISSA M. ALEJANDRIA, MD, MSc
Chair, Return Service Obligation Program Committee
Associate Dean for ReseachLESLIE MICHELLE M. DALMACIO, PhD
LEO D.P. CUBILLAN, MD
Assistant
Chair, Regionalization Program Committee
LUCIA L. JUGUAN
Supervising Administrative Officer

Contact details of the UPCM Admissions Office, Return Service Obligation Program Committee
and the Regionalization Program Committee
ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE:Email Address: cmadmissions.upmanila@up.edu.ph
Tel No.: 85361368
RETURN SERVICE OBLIGATION PROGRAM COMMITTEE:Email Address: r so-cm@post.upm.edu.ph
REGIONALIZATION PROGRAM COMMITTEE:Email Address: cmrp.upmanila@up.edu.ph