Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

780
House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
SHIRLYN L. BANAS-NOGRALES

and ROGELIO D. PACQUIAO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill secks to convert the existing College of Medicine Extension Program in
Mindanao State University (MSU) — General Santos City Campus, into a full-pledged and
autonomous College of Medicine. It shall pave the way for the separation of administration of
the College of Medicine in General Santos City from the one in Marawi City, hopefully
improving the governance and fiscal capacity of both institutions. Under this proposal, the
MSU — College of Medicine in General Santos City will receive direct support from the
government, in order to increase its capacity to train future doctors in Region XII.

The establishment of a full-pledged College of Medicine in MSU — General Santos
City would ultimately bridge the wide gap in the patient-physician ratio within
SOCCSKSARGEN, as there are merely one hundred and fourteen (114) practicing physicians
taking care of the Region’s population of around 4.5 million, per the 2015 Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA) — Region XII Census. The ongoing pandemic has made this
disparity all the more apparent and has stressed the necessity of training more doctors locally
moving forward.

Furthermore, a competent College of Medicine in MSU — General Santos City would
surely provide a realistic opportunity for the poor yet deserving students in Southern
Philippines to acquire excellent medical education and training, not only because of their
proximity to the learning institution, but also because of the lower cost they would have to
incur in a State University.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is eamestly sought.

Uk
SHIRLYN L.4ANAS-NOGRALES



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No.__7809

Introduced by Representatives
SHIRLYN L. BANAS-NOGRALES
and ROGELIO D. PACQUIAO

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN
MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY - GENERAL SANTOS CITY
CAMPUS, PROVIDING FOR ITS GOVERNANCE,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Section 1. Establishment of Mindanao State University College of Medicine
in General Santos City. — The existing College of Medicine Extension Program in
Mindanao State University (MSU) — General Santos City Campus is hereby made
independent from the MSU College of Medicine in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, and
shall henceforth be known as Mindanao State University — General Santos City
College of Medicine.

Section 2. General Mandate.—The Mindanao State University — General
Santos City College of Medicine, hereinafter referred to as the “College”, shall
provide advanced instruction and professional training in medicine, and be the center
of excellence in the field of medical science and research in Region XII. It shall also
undertake research and extension services and provide progressive leadership in its
area of specialization.

Section 3. Governance. — Being an institution within the Mindanao State
University System, the governance of the College shall be vested in the Board of
Regents of the Mindanao State University, whose powers are defined under Republic
Act 1387, as amended, and other applicable laws and regulations, unless otherwise
provided or amended elsewhere in this Act.


Section 4. Administration. — The administration of the College is vested in the
Chancellor of the Mindanao State University — General Santos City Campus insofar as
authorized by the Board of Regents and the President of the University.

Section 5. The College Dean. — The College faculty shall be presided by a
Dean, The Dean shall be elected by the Board of Regents upon recommendation of the
Chancellor, following a process of consultation with the constituents of the College
based on standards and guidelines set by the Board. The Dean shall serve for a term
of three (3) years and shall be eligible for reappointment for another term.

Within six (6) months upon the effectivity of this Act, the Chancellor shall
constitute the Search Committee for Deanship.

In case of a vacancy in the Office of the Dean, as mentioned in the immediately
preceding paragraph, the successor shall serve only for the unexpired portion of the
term.

The powers and duties of the Dean of the College, in addition to those
specifically provided in this Act, shall be those usually pertaining to the Office of the
Dean of similar state universities and those delegated by the Chancellor.

The salary of the Dean of the College shall be in accordance with his/her
existing professorial rank and with the Revised Compensation and Position
Classification System and shall be comparable to that being received by the deans of
similar educational institutions.

The Dean of the College shall be assisted by a College Secretary, who shall be
appointed by the Chancellor.

Section 6. The Faculty.— The Board of Regents shall appoint, upon the
recommendation of the Chancellor and the nomination by the President of the
University, the faculty members of the College: Provided, That no political belief,
gender preference, cultural or community affiliation or ethnic origin, and religious
opinion or affiliation shall be a matter of inquiry in the appointment of faculty
members of the College: Provided, further, That said appointment shall be subject to
the guidelines, qualifications and/or standards set by the Board of Regents.

Section 7. Scholarship Program and Admission. — The College shall provide
for scholarship programs and other affirmative action programs to assist poor but
deserving students who qualify for admission to the College. No student shall be
denied admission to the College by reason of sex, religion, cultural or community
affiliation, or ethnic origin.

Section 8. Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy. — The College
shall enjoy academic freedom and institutional autonomy, pursuant to paragraph 2,
Section 5 of Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.


Section 9. Authority to Loan or Transfer Apparatus/Equipment/Supplies and
Detail of Personnel.— The heads of the bureaus and offices of the national
government are hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon the recommendation of the
Chancellor and the request of the Board of Regents through its President, such
apparatuses, equipment or supplies as may be needed by the College, and to detail
employees for duty therein when, in the judgment of the head of the bureau or office,
such apparatus, equipment, supplies or services of such employees can be spared
without serious detriment to public service.

The employees so detailed shall perform such duties as required of them by the
Dean of the College, and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their regular
services.

Section 10. Tax Exemptions. — The Mindanao State University College of
Medicine shall be entitled to the following tax exemptions:

a) All revenues and assets of the College used exclusively and solely for
educational purposes or in furtherance thereof shall be exempt from all
taxes and duties;

b) All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and contributions made to the

College to be used actually, directly and exclusively by the College shall be

exempt from donor’s tax and the same shall be allowed as allowable

deductions from the gross income of the donor for purposes of computing
the taxable income of the donor in accordance with the provisions of the

National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 (NIRC), as amended;

Importation of medical books or publications, medical equipment or

instruments which are for medical, laboratory or scientific purposes made

by the College upon certification by the Commission on Higher Education

(CHED), shall be exempt from customs duties in accordance with the

provisions of Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs

Modernization and Tariff Act”;

d) The College shall be exempt from value-added tax as provided for in

Section 109(1)(h) of the NIRC, as amended; and

All educational monetary awards shall be exempt from income tax as

prescribed in Section 32(B)(7)(c) of the NIRC, as amended.

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Section 11. Assets, Liabilities and Personnel. — All existing appropriations,
assets, real and personal, personnel and records of the Mindanao State University
College of Medicine Extension Program, as well as the liabilities or obligations, are
hereby transferred to the Mindanao State University — General Santos City College of
Medicine. The positions, rights, and security of tenure of faculty members and
personnel therein employed under existing laws or resolutions prior to the enactment
of this Act shall be respected.

All parcels of land belonging to the government occupied by the College
campus are hereby declared to be property of the University, for the use and benefit of
the College in sole furtherance of its academic mission as provided in this Act.


Section 12. Development Plan, Management Audit, Organizational or
Administrative/Academic Structure. — Within the period of one hundred and twenty
(120) days after the approval of this Act, the College shall accomplish the following:

a) Submit a five (5)-year development plan, including its corresponding
program budget, to the Board of Regents, for corresponding
recommendation to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM);

b) Undergo a management audit in cooperation with the Board of Regents and
CHED; and

c) Accordingly set up its organizational, administrative and academic
structures, including the appointment of the key officials of the College.

Section 13. Supplementary Application. — The provisions of Republic Act
8292, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997,” shall
be an integral part of this Act.

Section 14. Parity Clause.— All other powers, functions and privileges,
responsibilities, and limitations to State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and their
officials under existing laws shall be deemed granted to or imposed upon the College
and its officials, whenever appropriate.

Section 15. Appropriations.— The amount needed to carry out the
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the appropriations for the current
fiscal year and other internal funds of the Mindanao State University. Thereafter, such
sums representing the responsibility of the national government for the continued
growth, operation and maintenance of the College shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act (GAA).

To further strengthen the capacity of the College in medical science, research,
and instruction, in addition to the regular appropriations and increases for the College
under the annual GAA, an MSU — General Santos City College of Medicine fund shall
be appropriated in the amount of Ten Million Pesos (Php 10,000,000.00) per year for
a period of five years, which shall likewise be included in the annual GAA. Such fund
shall be disbursed by the Board of Regents strictly in accordance with the purposes of
this Act.

Section 16, Promulgation and Implementation of Policies. — The Board of
Regents shall, within sixty (60) days from effectivity of this Act, promulgate and
implement policies in accordance with the declared State policy on health and other
pertinent provisions of the 1987 Constitution on health, as well as the policies,
standards and thrusts of the CHED under Republic Act 7722, otherwise known as the
“Higher Education Act of 1994”.

Section 17. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason or reasons, any part or
provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or
provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.


Section 18, Repealing Clause. — All laws, presidential decrees, resolutions,
executive orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions
of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 19. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,