NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
)
First Regular Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE VIRGILIO S. LACSON
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In Memorandum Circular Order No. 15, series of 2017 issued by the Commission on Higher
Education provided are the policies, standards, and guidelines for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Program, in which nursing graduates are required to render internship services in order to develop their
professional skills to be able to provide a safe, humane, quality and holistic care to individuals of varying
age, gender and health-illness status; healthy or at risk families to promote health, prevent illness, restore
health, alleviate suffering, and provide end of life care. 
Actual deployment in a hospital is a great place to gain significant knowledge and skills in
practicing the noble profession. It also serves as a venue for realization of the true environment and nature
of work of future public servants. Here, trainees can be more competent and well-trained. 
According to the Department of Health the ideal nurse to patient ratio is 1:12. Unfortunately, for
now it is a challenge to obtain. It should also be noted that hospitals should provide meal and
transportation incentives for trainees as part of the program to ease the unemployment and/or shortage of
medical personnel, considering that the trainees are rendering their pro bono service, to earn several
hours, days, months to acquire work experience without pay.
This bill seeks to provide a mutual beneficial relationship between hospitals and trainees. This
will ensure welfare to patients, address the high patient volume, and also all on-the-job trainee nurses.
This aims to penalize hospitals, both public and private, that demand payment from trainee nurses in
exchange for the actual work experience.
In light of the foregoing, immediate passage of the bill is earnestly sought.
VIRGILIO S. LACSON
Manila Teachers Party-list
July 26, 2022
1:25 pm
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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
)
First Regular Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE VIRGILIO S. LACSON
AN ACT
PENALIZING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS FOR COLLECTING TRAINING
FEES UPON POST GRADUATE NURSES IN EXCHANGE FOR WORK EXPERIENCE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “OJT Nurses Protection Act.”
SEC. 2. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all on-the-job trainee nurses rendering
experiential service to any public and private hospitals and all hospitals publicly or privately
operating in the Philippines. 
All on-the-job trainee nurses upon rendering experiential service to any public and
private hospitals all over the country shall be entitled for meal and transportation allowances.
Provided, that the rate to compute the incentives given shall not be less that fifty percent (50%)
of the minimum daily wage promulgated by the appropriate wage board of the region where
establishment is situated. 
SEC. 3. Prohibited Act. - Any public and private hospital is hereby prohibited from
requiring fees from on-the-job trainee nurses who want to gain professional experience in
hospitals. 
If the violation was committed by or in the interest of a juridical person, the following
penalty shall be imposed: 
a) First Offense - Fine not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) but not
more than Five Hundred Thousand pesos (P500,000.00);
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b) Second Offense - Fine not less than Five Hundred Thousand pesos (P500,000.00) but
not more than One Million pesos (P1,000,000.00); and
c) Third Offense - Suspension of license to engage in business for a period of thirty (30)
days and/or Fine of Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) and immediate revocation of
license to engage in business. 
SEC. 4. Fee Refund. -Any trainee nurse who shall be required by the hospital to pay in
violation of Section 3 thereof shall be refunded the full amount paid to the hospital plus an
interest of six percent (6%) per annum until fully paid. In addition, a salary equivalent to and not
more than the minimum wage or an amount as may be fixed by the court shall be paid by the
hospital for services rendered. 
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. -- If any provision or portion of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not thereby affected shall remain in
full force and effect. 
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, ordinances, rules,
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any provision of
this Act, are hereby repealed, amended, and/or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 7. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,