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Quezon City, Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No. 617 5
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Introduced by Rep. Anthony R.T. Golez Jr. MD, MBAH
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This representation seeks the creation of a Medical Reserve Corps that will be
called upon to serve the public in times of national emergencies. The Medical Reserve
Corps shall be composed of licensed physicians, nurses, medical technologists, persons
whohavedegreesinthefieldofmedicine,nursing,medicaltechnologyandotherhealth-
related fields,membersoftheReserveForceoftheArmedForcesofthePhilippines(AFP)
in the Medical Service, and administrative and technical personnel.
The proposed bill herein envisions that in times of national emergencies and other
contingencies,  the members  of the  Medical  Reserve Corps shall  be called  upon and
mobilized to assist the national government to address the medical and health needs of
the public. The need for a Medical Reserve Corps became apparent during the COVID-
19 Pandemic. The Philippines needed extra helping hands to address the medical needs
of Filipinos. The approval of the proposed legislation will cover the situation where the
current and regular pool of medical personnel can no longer everything on the table
because the scale of the national emergency is so big. The proposed creation of a Medical
Reserve Corps is a proactive legislation intended to make the Philippines more resilient
in times of crises.
At this point it would be elucidating to highlight the Constitutional provision on
thematter,towit:``TheprimedutyoftheGovernmentistoserveandprotectthepeople.
The Government may call upon the people to defend the State and, in the fulfillment
thereof,  all  citizens  may  be  required,  under  conditions  provided  by  law,  to  render
personal military or civil service" (Section 4, AIticle 11, 1987 Constitution). Further, the
Constitution also mandates that: ``The State shall protect and promote the right to health
of the people and instill health consciousness among them" (Section 15, Article 11, 1987
Constitution)
In view of the foregoing, this representation respectfully prays for the approval of
the proposed bill for the Filipino people.
HON.A##KE§oLEz|R.MD,MBAH
Malasahit at Bayanthan Partytist


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Quezon City, Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No. 6175
Introduced by Rep. Anthony R.T. Golez |r. MD, MBAH
AN ACT INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it erpcfed by the Senate and House Of Rapresentatives of the Phiitppines in Congress
assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Medical Reserve Corps Act of
2022.„
Section 2. Statement of Policy. It shall be the policy of the State:
a. To institutionalize the vital role of medical and health-related personnel in nation-
building, promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social
well-being;  to  inculcate  in them  patriotism and  nationalism;  and  to  encourage  their
involvement in public and civic affairs.
b. To train, equip and organize medical and health-related personnel, within the current
frameworksofnationalandterritorialdefeuse,lawerforcementandpeaceandorderand
nationaldisasterriskreductionandmanagement,topreparethemforrapidmobilization
atthesoonestpossibletimeinordertoaddressnationaland/orlocalcontingencieswhich
mayrequiremanpowerbeyondthecapabilitiesofexistingnationalgovemmentagencies
or local goverrment units.
Section 3. Medical Reserve Corps. There is hereby established a Medical Reserve Corps
(MRC) under the Health Emergency Bureau of the Department of Health (DOH). The
MRC shall be composed of licensed physicians, nurses, medical technologists, persons
whohavedegreesinthefieldofmedicine,nursing,medicaltechnologyandotherhealth-
related fields,membersoftheReserveForceoftheArmedForcesofthePhilippines(AFP)
in the Medical Service, and administrative and technical personnel.
Within sixty (60) days from the approval of this Act, the DOH shall issue guidelines on
the recruitment,  selection and  length of service of the MRC members.  The  DOH,  in
coordination with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), shall determine


and provide appropriate compensation and incentives for MRC members in order to
encourage membership to the MRC.
The Medical Reserve Corps shall be called for retraining every three (3) years to maintain
and enhance its level of competency and readiness for mobilization.
Section 4. Medical Reserve Corps Mobilization. In times of national emergencies and
other contingencies, the members of the Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon and
mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and local
government units in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of the public.
The DOH, in consultation with the Department of National Defense @ND) and the
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), shall issue guidelines for the
requests for deployment and mobilization of the MRC.
Section5.AnnualReports.TheDOHshallregularlypublishanannualreportcontaining
a list of its accomplishments, status of its operations, number and demography of the
Medical Reserve Corps, assessment of readiness for mobilization and the incidence and
details of each mobilization for the year concerned.
Section 6. Requests for Deployment. The Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon
and mobilized          to assist the national government, its agencies and iustrumentalities,
and the local government units in their functions related to addressing the medical needs
ofthepublicthroughrequestsfordeploymentbytheheadsofsuchnationalgovemment
agencies or local government units submitted to the DOH.
The requests  shall  contain a justification for the  deployment of the Corps and  shall
contain information as may be required by the DOH, including the nature of the national
or local contingencies to be addressed, the purpose of the requested deployment, the
number of personnel requested to be deployed and the period of deployment.
Section 7. Evaluation of the Requests for Deployment. Within twenty-four (24)
hours from receipt of the requests for deployment, the DOH shall evaluate the requests
for deployment and issue an Order of Deployment requiring the Corps, or a number
thereof, to assist the national government, its agencies and iustrumentalities or the local
government units in their functions related to addressing the health-related needs of the
public.
Section 8. Deployment in Case of a Declaration of a State of War, State of Lawless
Violence or State of Calamity; Nationwide Mobilization. In case of a declaration of a
state of calamity or state of public health emergency, the DOH shall be authorized to
mobilize the Corps to respond to national or local contingencies to address the health-
related needs of the public.


Section 9. Mobilization Centers. There shall be designated mobilization centers in every
province, where the MRC will report in case of deployment.
In case of mobilization, the equipment and housing of the Corps shall be supplied in close
coordination with the DOH and other national agencies and offices, with the end in view
of achieving rapid mobilization.
Section 10. Operationalization of Deployment. The DOH, in consultation with the DND
and DILG, shall promulgate the specific mechanisms by which deployment is efficiently
implemented, including the organization of the Corps to be deployed, their territorial
assignments, how deployment orders are communicated to each member of the Corps
and to which mobilization center they will report.
Section 11. Termination of Deployment. Upon the expiration of the requested period of
deployment,withoutanextensionhavingbeenrequestedandapprovedbytheDOH,the
Corps shall be discharged of its duties. The deployment may also be terminated earlier
upon  a  determination  by  the  DOH,  in  consultation  with  the  requesting  national
government agency  or local  government unit,  that such deployment is no longer in
accordance with the objectives and purposes of this Act.
Section 12. Effect on Employment. Deployment of employees in accordance with the
provisions of this Act shall not be a ground for dismissal or dirhinution of any benefit
enjoyed by such graduates prior to their deployment. The members of the Corps shall
continue  to  be  entitled  to  their  regular  wage  or  salary  during  the  period  of  their
deployment.
Section 13. Penal Provisions - Failure to Respond.
a.Failuretorespondtotheorderofdeploymentdespitenoticesenttotheaddressand/or
contactdetailsonfilewiththeDOHwithoutanyjustifiablereasonshall,uponconviction
by a civil court, be punishable as follows:
1. First Offense: One hundred and twenty (120) hours of community service.
2. Second Offense: Two hundred and forty (240) hours of community service.
3. Third and Subsequent Offenses: Six (6) months imprisonment and four hundred and
eighty (480) hours of community service.
Section 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). Within thirty (30) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the DOH, in consultation with relevant government agencies,
shall formulate and issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the objectives
and purposes  of this  Act.  The rules  and  regulations  shall  include provisions  on the
structure  and  organization  of  the  Corps,  the  specific  mechanisms  for  the  efficient
mobilizationanddeploymentoftheCorps,andsuchothermattersastheDOHmaydeem
necessary or essential to fully implement the objectives and purposes of this Act.


Section 15. Appropriations. The funding for the initial implementation of this Act shall
be charged against the appropriations of the DOH. Thereafter, funding shall be included
in the budget of the DOH under the annual General Appropriations Act.
Section 16. Repealing Clause. All laws, orders, rules regulations and other issuances, or
parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.
Section 17. Separability Clause. Any provision of this Act declared unconstitutional
shall not affect the validity of the other provisions thereof .
Section  18.  Effectivity  Clause.  This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  after  its
publication in two (2) newspapers of national circulation.
Approved,