NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
SENATE 
S. B. NO. ’^36
Cl.r ,
ficp o( llie ^^rccctiU'p
72. JUL18 P4 56
RECEIVED BY;
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY FREE HEALTH 
MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION (HMO) PLAN COVERAGE TO 
FACULTY AND NON-TEACHING PERSONNEL IN STATE 
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article XIV, Section 5, Paragraph (5) of the 1987 Constitution mandates that 
“[t]he State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that 
teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through 
adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.” Towards 
this end, one of the efforts undertaken by the government is the implementation of an 
across-the-board increase in the salary schedule of civilian government personnel.
However, problems still persist with regard the provision of “adequate 
remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment” to faculties and non­
teaching personnel in state universities and colleges (SUCs). One of these problems 
is in the aspect of healthcare.
If the personnel were to suffer from a debilitating illness, limited PhilHealth 
coverage would only answer a fraction of the cost of treatment and the rest would still 
be shouldered out of the personnel’s pocket. This is especially alarming considering a 
full-time lecturer classified as Instructor 1 in a state university usually only receives 
salary equivalent to Salary Grade 12 or around Php27,608 per month, effective 
January 1, 2022.
The strain of hundreds of thousands of pesos in hospital bills and their meager 
salaries would definitely take a toll on their standard of living and quality of life. An 
emergency of this sort may possibly even put them into enormous amounts of debt.


As of April 2022, 102 out of 114 SUCs are conducting limited face-to-face 
classes. As more schools revert to face-to-face classes, the safety and health of 
teachers, staff, and students are of utmost importance. Thus, in order to ensure peace 
of mind for the beneficiaries, this bill seeks to provide faculty members and regular 
non-teaching personnel of SUCs with free mandatory health coverage provided by 
health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Under this bill, the Board of Regents of 
each sue has the authority to decide on the form, coverage and terms of the HMO 
plan without any need of approval from other agencies and/or officers.
A free HMO coverage will not only increase the job satisfaction among SUC 
personnel, but it will also ensure that a healthy pool of faculty and non-teaching 
personnel will be able to teach and shape the minds of younger generations 
continuously and rigorously.
Thus, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
SENATOR
L VILLANUEVA


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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
SENATE 
S.B. No. ’^36
Senate
of t!)c ^^icrelarp
•22 JUL 18 P 4 56
A
RECEIVED BY;
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY FREE HEALTH 
MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION (HMO) PLAN COVERAGE TO 
FACULTY AND NON-TEACHING PERSONNEL IN STATE 
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES 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 “Free Health Card for 
all State Universities and Colleges (SUC) Personnel Act.”
SEC* 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby the policy of the State to give priority 
to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and 
nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and 
development. It is also the policy of the State to assign the highest budgetary priority to 
education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best 
available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and 
fulfillment. Towards this end, and in order to protect the welfare of teaching and non­
teaching personnel, the State shall establish mandatory Health Maintenance Organization 
(HMO) coverage to augment their healthcare coverage in case of health-related 
contingencies.
SEC. 3. Mandatory HMO Coverage. - All SUCs shall provide mandatory HMO 
coverage to all full-time faculty and regular non-teaching personnel of State Universities 
and Colleges (SUCs). For this purpose, the Board of Regents of each SUC shall have the 
discretion to decide the form, coverage, and terms of the services to be provided bv an 
HMO.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the approval and implementation of the 
mandatory HMO coverage provided under this Act shall not require any approval from 
other agencies or officials.
For the avoidance of doubt, the mandatory HMO coverage provided under this Act 
shall be in addition to the existing healthcare program provided to all government 
employees through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.


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SEC. 4. Appropriations. - The amounts necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) under the 
budgets of the particular SUCs.
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remaining provision of this Act not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting.
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, department or 
memorandum orders, and other administrative issuance or parts thereof which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby modified, superseded or repealed 
accordingly.
SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,