Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS:
First Regular Session

2007

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS, APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The lack of medical personnel is a key weakness in our fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic, leaving our hospital frontliners thoroughly
overwhelmed and exhausted.

As a response to the foregoing concern, this bill proposes to establish a
Medical Reserve Corps which shall be composed of all persons who have
degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other
health-related fields but have yet to have their respective licenses to
practice. A medical reserve force specifically trained to supplement the
existing human health resources will ease the burden in our healthcare
system.

It is during times of national health emergencies that the members of the
Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon and mobilized to assist the
national government and the local government units in their functions
related to addressing medical needs. This measure allows our hospitals
and medical facilities to handle the extreme demand for patient care in
times of disaster and health emergencies.

This bill seeks to uphold the role of medical and health-related personnel in
nation-building. Being involved in the frontlines of a public health
emergency is a patriotic act, and the reserve corp's vital role necessitate
that their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being are
protected,


The immediate approval of this bill is most earnestly sought.

YY a

Luis IND “LRAY’/ F/ VILLAFUERTE JR.,


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

7007

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS, 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. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Medical
Reserve Corps Act of 2020."

Sec. 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;
and

b. To train, equip and organize medical and health-related personnel,
within the current frameworks of national and territorial defense, law
enforcement and peace and order and national disaster risk reduction and
management, to prepare them for rapid mobilization at the soonest
possible time in order to address national and/or local contingencies which
may require manpower beyond the capabilities of existing national
government agencies or local government units.

Sec. 3. Medical Reserve Corps. — There is hereby established a Medical
Reserve Corps which shall be composed of all persons who have degrees
inthe field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other health-
related fields but have yet to have their respective licenses to practice for


reasons such as but not limited to not having taken and/or passed the
licensure examinations in their respective professions.

Sec. 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 the local government
in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of the public.

The mobilization shall be initiated by the Secretary of Department of Health
(DOH), in coordination with the Secretaries of the Department of National
Defense (DND), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), or their duly
authorized representatives with a rank of at least Undersecretary.

From time to time as manpower and training resources may allow during
the period of national emergencies and other contingencies, the Medical
Reserve Corps may be called for retraining to maintain and enhance its
level of competency and readiness for mobilization.

Sec, 5. Annual Reports. — The DOH shall regularly publish an annual
report containing a list of its accomplishment, status of its operations,
number and demography of tie Medical Reserve Corps, assessment of
readiness for mobilization and the incidence and details of each
mobilization for the year concerned. The annual report shall also include
the results of the audit investigation on the spending of funds appropriated,
collected or advanced for the implementation of the provisions of this Act.

Sec, 6. Request for Deployment. — The Medical Reserve Corps may be
called upon and mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies
and instrumentalities, and the local government units in their functions
related to addressing the medical needs of the public through requests for
deployment by the heads of such national government agencies or local
government unit 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, tie number of personnel requested to be deployed and the
period of deployment.

Sec. 7. Evaluation of the Request for Deployment — The DOH shall
evaluate the requests for deployment. When the number of personnel
requested does not exceed one hundred and fifty (150) and the period of
deployment does not exceed sixty (60) days, the DOH shall decide
whether to approve or disapprove the request within twenty-four (24) hours


from receipt thereof. When the number of personnel requested exceeds
one hundred and fifty (150) or the period of deployment exceeds sixty (60)
days, the DOH shall make a recommendation to the Office of the President
(OP) within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the request. The OP shall
decide whether to approve or disapprove the request within twenty-four
(24) hours from receipt of the recommendation of the DOH.

In case of the approval of the request for deployment, the DOH shall issue
an Order of Deployment requiring the Corps, or a number thereof, to assist
the national government, its agencies and instrumentalities and the local
government units in their functions related to addressing the health-related
needs of the public.

Sec. 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 war, state of lawless violence or state of
calamity, the DOH may motu proprio recommend the mobilization of the
Corps to the President of the Philippines. The President of the Philippines,
by himself, shall also have the power to order the mobilization of the Corps
to respond to national or local contingencies related to external and
territorial defense, intemal security and peace and order and/or disaster
risk reduction management.

Sec. 9. Mobilization Centers — There shall be established in each
province and city as many mobilization centers as needed according to the
number and geographical distribution of the Corps, where they will report in
case of deployment.

In case of mobilization, the equipment 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.

Sec. 10. Expenses of Deployment. — Upon deployment, the national
government agency or the local government unit to which the Corps is
deployed shall shoulder the operational expenses of deployment.

Sec. 11. Operationalization of Deployment. — The DOH 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.

Sec. 12. Serial Numbers and Registry. — Upon completion of their
respective degrees, the graduates shall be issued individual serial
numbers, which will serve as their identification in case of deployment.


The DOH shall maintain and update a registry/database containing the
names of the members of the Corps, their serial numbers, address, contact
details and such other information as the DOH may determine, in
accordance with any applicable privacy laws. For this purpose, all public
and private colleges, universities and learning institutions are hereby
mandated to annually transmit their records of the graduates covered
under this Act to the DOH, in the form as may be determined by the DOH

All graduates covered under this Act are required to update their addresses
and contact details on file with the DOH as often as necessary. Orders of
deployment sent to the addresses and/or through the contact details on file
with the DOH shall be sufficient notice for purposes of deployment.

Sec. 13. Termination of Deployment. — Upon the expiration of the
requested period of deployment, without an extension having been
requested and approved by the DOH, 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.

Sec. 14, Effect on Employment — Deployment of employees in
accordance with the provisions of this Act shall not be a ground for
dismissal or diminution of any benefit enjoyed by such graduates prior to
their deployment. The members of the Corps shall be entitled to their
regular wage or salary during the period of their deployment.

Sec. 15. Medical Reserve Corps Fund. — A Medical Reserve Corps
Fund is hereby established exclusively for the implementation of the
objectives and purposes of this Act. The Office of the President shall
monitor and evaluate the activities and the balances of the Fund.

Sec. 16. School Fees. — Public colleges, universities and similar learning
institutions covered by Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the
Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, shall not collect any fee
from the members of the Medical Reserve Corps in addition to the normal
fees and charges pertinent to their education and training in said colleges,
universities and other similar institutions.

Sec. 17. Appropriations. — The Medical Reserve Corps Fund shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 18. Audit of Funds. — Audit of any and all funds used through the
implementation of this Act shall be in accordance with the audit jurisdiction


of the Commission on Audit, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the
Department of Health, under existing laws and regulations.

Sec. 19. Penal Provisions; Failure to Respond. —

a. Failure to respond to the order of deployment despite notice sent to the
address and/or contact details on file with the DOH without any justifiable
reason shall, upon conviction 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; and

3. Third and Subsequent Offenses: Six (6) months imprisonment and
four hundred and eighty (480) hours of community service.

Sec. 20. Disciplinary and Corrective Proceedings. — Administrative
offenses committed by persons involved in or in relation to the
implementation of this Act, shall be subject to administrative penalties in
accordance with the applicable civil service rules or the rules and
regulations of the Professional Regulation Commission, as the case may
be.

Sec. 21. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). — The DOH shall
be tasked to formulate and approve the necessary rules and regulations to
implement the objectives and purposes of this Act within thirty (30) days
from its effectivity. The rules and regulations shall include provisions on the
structure and organization of the Corps, the specific mechanisms for the
efficient mobilization and deployment of the Corps, and such other matters
as the DOH may deem necessary or essential to fully implement the
objectives and purposes of this Act.

Sec. 22. Repealing Clause. Alll laws, orders, rules regulations and other
issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 23. Separability Clause. — Any provision of this Act declared
unconstitutional shall not affect the validity of the other provisions thereof.

Sec. 24. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in two (2) newspapers of national circulation.


Approved,