Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

17" Congress
2™! Regular Session

7298
HOUSE BILL NO.

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

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Shortage of doctors is a national problem that was raised harboring issues of affordability
and accessibility.

According to an article published by Elma Sandoval, Doctor Shortage in the Philippines
An Analysis, there are 130,000 licensed physicians in the country but only 70,000 are active in the
profession. Only 2,300 new doctors are produced annually that is equal to a low passing rate of
30-40%.

Data provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that for every 5 Filipinos, 3
die without seeing a doctor, nurse or any other allied health professional. The doctor to population
ratio in the Philippines is 1:30,000, not even close to the 1:20,000 standard of the World Health
Organization and way far from the 1:1,000 ratio of the Cuban Health System.

Another factor that contributed to the shortage of doctors is medical school expenses.
Medical education is probably one of the most expensive courses in the Philippines. There are only
30 few medical schools in the country and only 5 of these medical schools are public. Tuition fee
in the very few public medical schools is merely subsidized and not fully shouldered by the
government. Private medical schools cost almost three folds of the expenses in a public medical
school. Aspiring doctors may spend Php70,000.00 to Php150,000.00 for tuition fee alone per
semester and an additional of almost Php50,000.00 or more for miscellaneous fees, books, medical
equipment and other school-related expenses.

The high cost of becoming a doctor is what pushes many medical graduates to demand
commensurate salary, and oftentimes to seek greater offers abroad. If not abroad, the very few
active medical practitioner in the country chooses to go into private practice in urban areas instead
of community health service in rural areas. This preference, causes maldistribution of doctors.

In order to provide solution for the existing crisis in the Philippine Health System, this bill
aims to encourage Filipino to pursue a medicine career by rendering scholarship program for
qualified medical students. This measure may increase the annual production of doctors in our
country.

This bill also aims to properly distribute doctors to provinces to address the issue of
concentrated medical pool by requiring medical graduates to serve for at least one (1) year to
provincial or municipal medical centers outside Metro Manila.

Thus, the early passage of this bill is earnestly requested.

“KUYA” JOSE 4NTONIO R. SY-ALVARADO
Representative

frst District of Bulacan

wy


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

17” Congress
2™ Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.

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

AN ACT
PROVIDING MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS TO ALL DESERRVING STUDENTS AND
REQUIRING ALL MEDICAL GRADUATES TO SERVE IN A GOVERNMENT
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICE OR HOSPITAL

Be it adopted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembles:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Philippine
Health System Act of 2018”

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared that the improvement of the health
system is a matter of State concern, as is the accessibility of medical services, all of which are
threatened by the shortage of doctors in our country.

Sec. 3. Medical Scholarship Program. - The scholarship program shall grant free tuition
fee and other related school fees; allowance for required textbooks, supplies and equipment;
clothing and uniform allowance; allowance for accommodation; transportation allowance; and fees
for medical board review. The program shall also cover fees and other expenses during post-
graduate internship.

Sec. 4. Eligible Candidates for Medical Scholarship Programs. ~ Any Filipino citizen
who is willing to perform humanitarian work in the field of medicine that possesses all academic
requirements and completed any of the undergraduate prerequisite courses to be administered for
a doctoral degree in medicine. The institution concerned may determine such other qualifications
as it deems necessary for the admission of the students.

Sec. 5. Scholarship Policies and Conditions. — The scholar must meet the following
policies and conditions:

a. The scholar shall pass and finish Doctor of Medicine program in the prescribed
time frame in accordance to the prescribed load of subjects per semester by the
school

b. The scholar upon passing the licensure examination for physicians shall be part of
the mandatory return service in a government hospital in his/her hometown or in
any underserved municipality or province determined by the DOH for at least two
(2) years.

¢. The scholar will lose his/her scholarship and pay his/her full scholarship if he/she
accepts another scholarship; fails 30% of the subjects; fails to pass the licensure
examination for physicians for the second time.

d. The scholar upon passing the licensure examination for physicians fails or refuses
to serve the conditions stated-above, he/she will be required to pay the full cost of


the scholarship including all financial assistance incurred in the scholarship
program.

See. 6. Scholarship Administration. — The Department of Health (DOH) in coordination
with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall be primarily responsible for the
administration of the scholarship program by performing the following functions:

a. Conduct regular information dissemination of and recruitment to the medical
scholarship program to ensure that there will be an adequate number of medical
doctors in all the municipalities and provinces.

b. Determine the number of physicians needed for every municipality or province.

¢. Coordinate with the corresponding agencies for the mandatory integration of
doctors/scholars into the public health care system.

d. Provide funds for the effective implementation of the Medical Doctor Scholarship
Program under this act; and

e. Recommend to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the budget for
the plantilla positions including the determination of salaries and salary increase.

Sec. 9. Appropriations, — The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation of
this act shall be sourced from the current budget of SUC’s and DOH.

Sec. 10. Implementing Rules. ~ Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this Act,
the Department of Health (DOH), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the proper implementation of this Act.

Sec. 11, Repealing Clause. — All laws decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or other
issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

Sec. 7. Separability Clause. If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in
force and effect.

Sec. 8. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the
completion of its publication eithgrn the Official Gazette or in at least (2) newspapers of general
circulation in the Philippines, whichever comes earlier.