Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1626

Introduced by: “KUYA” JOSE ANTONIO R. SY-ALVARADO

AN ACT
PROVIDING MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS TO QUALIFIED STUDENTS IN ALL.
MUNICIPALITIES, ESTABLISHING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE ONE TOWN: ONE
DOCTOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The ratio of doctors to patients in the country has always been a challenge for the public
health sector. Recent data reveals that there are only 70,000 doctors for a hundred million citizens
and only 2,600 doctors are produced yearly. The ratio is even worse in rural areas, 1:33,000 doctor-
patient ratios. Unfortunately, global standards dictate a 1:1,000 doctor-patient ratios, thus, the
Philippines is very much far behind in meeting this requirement.!

‘The obstacles faced by health care providers and patients in rural areas are vastly different
from those in urban areas. People living in the rural areas of the country face a unique combination
of factors that create inadequacies in health care not found in urban areas. Economic factors,
cultural and social differences, educational shortcomings, and the sheer isolation of living in
remote rural areas all conspire to impede the people in their struggle to lead a normal, healthy life.

It is therefore mandatory to address this medical manpower scarcity through a state-
sponsored scholarship program that will enable and encourage more and more students to go into
the medical field and serve their fellow countrymen, especially in the rural areas. This bill hopes
to bring at least one doctor per town, thereby significantly improving the ratio of doctors to patients
in the country and strengthening the public health care system.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly

JOSE ANTONIO R.SY-ALVARADOY~
Representative
First District of Bulacan

2 Cabato, R. October 13, 2016. DOH Secretary: Philippines lacks 15,000 doctors. CNN Philippines.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1626

Introduced by: HON. “KUYA” JOSE ANTONIO R. SY-ALVARADO

AN ACT
PROVIDING MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS TO QUALIFIED STUDENTS IN ALL.
MUNICIPALITIES, ESTABLISHING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE ONE TOWN: ONE
DOCTOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SEC. 1. Short Title — This Act shall be known as the “One Town: One Doctor Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy — It is hereby declared as the policy of the State to provide
"priority measures that can help reduce social and economic inequalities. It is also the policy of the
State to undertake health manpower development responsive to the country’s health service needs,

For this purpose, the government shall institutionalize scholarships programs to deserving
and qualified individuals that will establish access for them to pursue education and train in the
field of medicine, and shall formulate and implement such policies and programs to systematically
integrate these individuals, upon qualifying as doctors of medicine, into the public’ health care
system.

SEC. 3. One Town: One Doctor Scholarship Program — The Department of Health (DOH)
shall establish a One Town: One Doctor Scholarship Program that will grant scholarship and
financial assistance to qualified Filipinos who want to pursue a degree in Doctor of Medicine. The
scholarship shall cover expenses for, among others, tuition, laboratory and miscellaneous fees, and
other related school fees; required textbooks, supplies and equipment; clothing and uniform
allowances; traveling expenses and subsistence and living allowances. The program shall endeavor
to provide scholarships to interested and deserving students in order to achieve the goal of One
Town: One Doctor as provided in Sec. 6 hereof: Provided, that should there be no resident from a
given municipality who shall qualify for the program, the allotted slot may be assumed by a scholar
coming from another town in the same province: Provided, that the scholar who assumed the slot
of another municipality shall render service in the municipality where the slot was assumed.

SEC. 4. Qualifications of Candidates — All qualified scholars shall possess the following
qualifications:

a) Must be a bonafide resident of the municipality where the scholar filed an application
for the program; with exception to those who shall assume the slots of municipalities
where no resident qualified for the program;


b)

Must belong to the top thirty percent (30%) of their respective graduating classes and
must be completing or already completed any of the undergraduate prerequisite courses
for a doctoral degree in medicine;

Family and or personal incomes are not sufficient to finance their education in the field
of medicine; and

The University concerned may determine such other qualifications as it deems
necessary for the admission of the students.

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SEC. 5. Conditions of the Scholarship Grant — The One Town: One Doctor Scholarship
Program shall have the following conditionalities:

a) The scholar shall pass the admission examinations and related requirements of the
medical school that the scholar plans to enroll in;

b) The scholar shall carry the full load of subjects prescribed per semester by the medical
school, and shall, under no circumstances, drop a course which will result in under-
loading;

c) The scholar may be allowed, for valid reasons preventing his enrolment, to defer

availing of the scholarship and file a leave of absence for a.period not exceeding one

(1) school years; and

‘The scholar shall receive and continue to enjoy the benefits of the scholarship until the

completion of the course

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SEC. 6. Public Health Service System — The scholar shall be integrated into the public
health and medical service system as a medical doctor, with the appropriate rank and salary upon
passing the medical board examination. The service and integration to the public service will be
for a period of at least four (4) years upon graduation: Provided, that the scholar shall undertake
post graduate internship in a public health or medical institution and such internship with salaries
allocated shall be part of the mandatory service and integration into the public health and medical
service system. Provided, further, that upon graduation, the scholar shall be deployed into the
scholar’s hometown to achieve the program’s goal of having at least one doctor per municipality
Provided, finally, that the scholar who assumed the slot of another municipality where no resident
qualified shall be deployed to the same municipality where the slot was assumed.

SEC. 7. Information Dissemination — The DOH shall conduct regular information
dissemination and recruitment with regard to the One Town: One Doctor Scholarship Program to
ensure the continuous supply of medical scholars to all municipalities in the country

SEC. 8. Appropriations — The amounts necessary to effectively carry out the initial
implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the current budget of the DOH. Thereafter, such
sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the
succeeding General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations ~ Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity
of this Act, the Commission on Higher Education, the DOH and the Department of Budget and
Management shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the proper implementation
of this Act.

SEC. 10. Separability Clause — If, for any reason, any provision of this Act or any part
thereof shall be held unconstitutional and invalid, the other parts or provisions of this Act, which
are not affected thereby, shall remain in full force and effect.


SEC. 11. Repealing Clause ~ All laws, decrees, resolutions, orders or ordinances or parts
thereof inconsistent with this Act, are hefeby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Approved,/