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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 183 4 
Introduced by Senator JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Section 18 Article I1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State 
affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of 
workers and promote their welfare. 
One of the most neglected sectors among health professionals is the rural 
health physician. They have spent a fortune and labored in their studies to 
pursue their degrees. Yet while being loyal to the Oath of Hippocrates or the 
Hypocratic Oath to serve the medical needs of our people, their own well-being 
and their respective families are compromised because of meager salaries they 
receive from the government. This is the main reason why they leave their 
practice of profession in our country and seek greener pastures in other 
countries. As a result, the delivery of our health system suffers and majority of 
our people are deprived of medical care as the brain drain continues. 
This bill seeks to avoid the fupher migration of rural health physicians by 
giving them higher incentive in terms of salary In the long run, the rural health 
physicians will develop their medical specializations for the benefit of our people. 
It also enjoins local government elected officials to strictly comply with the Magna 
Carta for Rural Health Workers in giving the salaries and benefits due to public 
health physicians. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly 
requested. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
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Introduced by Senator JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 19 AND 39 OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBER 
SEVEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND FIVE (R.A. 7305) OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be if enacfed by fhe Senafe and House of Represenfafives of fhe Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Declaration of Policy. The State affirms labor as a primary 
social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their 
welfare. 
Section 2. Section 19 of Republic Act Number Seven Thousand and Five 
(RA 7305) otherwise known as the "Magna Carfa of Public Health Workers" is 
hereby amended to read as follows: 
Section 19. Salaries. - In the determination of the salary scale of 
public health workers, the provisions of Republic Act No. 6758 shall 
govern, except that the benchmark for Rural Health Physicians 
shall be upgraded to GRADE 26. 
Section 3. Section 39 of Republic Act Number Seven Thousand 
and Five (RA 7305) otherwise known as the "Magna Carta of Public 
Health Workers" is hereby amended to add the following paragraph to 
read as follows: 


LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO WILLFULLY 
CIRCUMVENT OR VIOLATE THE 
GIVING 
OF 
SALARY, 
COMPENSATION, PAY AND ALLOWANCE OF PUBLIC RURAL 
HEALTH 
PHYSICIANS 
AND 
OTHER 
PUBLIC 
HEALTH 
WORKERS AS PROVIDED IN RA 7305 SHALL BE A GROUND 
FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION. 
Section 4. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act shall be held to 
be unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act not otherwise affected shall remain 
in full force and effect. 
Section 5. Repealing Clause. All laws, orders, rules and regulations, parts 
thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
Section 6. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect 30 days after its 
complete publication in two (2) national newspaper of general circulation or in the 
Official Gazette. 
Approved,