Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

H.B.No,__413

Introduced by HONORABLE JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

There is no integrated medical professional organization in the Philippines. There exists

the Philippine Medical Association, Inc. (PMA), which is an organization of doctors licensed to
practice medicine in the Philippines.

The PMA is one of the most prestigious organizations in the Philippines, the umbrella
organization of the medical profession of the country. It is duly registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as a non-stock, non-profit organization and is the mother association of
all medical organizations in the Philippines. It was founded September 15, 1903, at a time when
the country was under American rule. The Philippine Medical Association brings together the
entire medical profession under one roof to serve as an authoritative source of information on
health, disease and medical practice. It is responsible for the Training of Specialists through its
Specialty Societies. It is responsible for the sustained excellent quality healthcare delivery
through its continuing medical education, formulation of clinical practices, guidelines, directly or

through the specialty societies. It polices its ranks through the rigid Code of Ethics of the
medical profession.

The PMA has eight specialty divisions such as Pathology, Radiology, Anesthesiology,
Surgery, Physicians, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Family Medicine. All of these
specialty divisions have several sub-specialty societies. There are 28,000 physicians who are
members of the PMA. Membership in the Philippine Medical Association is coursed through the
Component Society. There are presently 128 Component Societies, which is the basic unit of
the Association, equitably distributed in all regions of the country. All provinces and cities in the
Philippines have component societies, more popularly known as medical societies. A group of
these medical societies form a region or regional council. The Board of Governors exercise
control and supervision over the regional councils and the component societies. The Board of
Governors has the power to realign regions and component societies and further the power to
create new component society or de-list existing one.

Aside from its by-laws, duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
the PMA has codes governing its affairs and the conduct of its members. Among its codes are
the Administrative Code, the Code on Continuing Medical Education, Code of Ethics, the
Election Code and Mutual Aid Code and Guidelines on Protocol and Procedures and Guidelines
on Affiliate Societies.

For the benefit of its members, the PMA and its specialty societies conduct periodically
seminars, workshops and conventions educating its members on the latest medical technology
‘and medicine. Its specialty societies determine who the specialists in several fields of medicine
are.

i i \dth, composition,
There is no other medical organization that possesses the breadth,
membership and nationwide coverage of the PMA. In almost all matters affecting health or the


medical profession, the government seeks the advice of the PMA. This bill will put the PMA as a
partner of the Government in the improvement of the health delivery system to include the
alleviation of the Exodus of Doctors to foreign lands.

Further, this bill will rid the medical profession of so called misfits found to be negligent
in their practice. The negligent acts of doctors led to a spate of incidents wherein patients either
died, were maimed, scarred or suffered physical injuries.

Under present laws, a patient has three options to remedy or punish such negligent acts,
one is the filing of a criminal action under the Revised Penal Code under Article 365 (reckless
imprudence), the second is the filing of a civil case for the recovery of damages and the third is

the filing of a case before the Professional Regulations Commission for the revocation of the
license of the doctor,

Patients might find the current options not suitable for his need because of:

@. court or administrative actions are time consuming as the courts and the PRC are

clogged with other cases

b. filing of such actions are financially burdensome on the patient.

©. court or administrative actions are mired in technicalities especially those concerning
evidence, the presentation and weighing of which must adhere to the strict technical
rules of procedure and evidence

This bill will provide a patient with a fourth option, that of filing a case with an integrated
professional medical organization. If the bill is passed, the medical profession, just like the legal
profession, will be integrated into one accredited organization. No doctor can practice his
profession unless he becomes a member of such integrated professional organization. An
aggrieved patient may now seek for the revocation of membership of the doctor from the
integrated professional medical organization. The threat of revocation will carry a lot of weight
since the livelihood of the doctor depends on his continued membership in the Organization,

This bill seeks to accredit the Philippine Medical Association as the integrated
professional medical organization and all physicians wanting to practice medicine will be
Tequired to become members of the PMA. If the bill is passed into a law, we will be creating a
professional medical organization already in place without the government spending a single
centavo that can serve as an extension of the government in regulating the medical profession,
maintaining the highest ethical conduct of the medical professionals and help in the continued
delivery of quality health care.

Approval of this bill is earnestly recommended.
2

<_—
sun Eos NY” M. ANGARA,
Represéfitative

Lone District, Province of Aurora


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES: )
First Regular Session )

H.B.No,_ 413

Introduced by Honorable JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA

AN ACT
ACCREDITING THE PHILIPPINE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AS THE
INTEGRATED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

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

SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known and cited as the “Integrated Medical
Professional Organization Act of 2010”.

SEC. 2. Membership. All physicians duly registered by the Professional Regulations
Commission shall become members of the Philippine Medical Association, Inc. (PMA)
Membership in good standing of the PMA shall be a condition precedent for his renewal of
license and for the continuous practice of medicine. It shall be the only Integrated Medical
Professional Organization of the Philippines.

SEC. 3. Organization. The organizational structure of the PMA, including the specialty
divisions, specialty and sub-specialty societies and the component medical societies and as a
non-stock, non-profit corporation duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission
shall be retained.

SEC. 4. Rules and Regulations. The PMA shall prescribe rules and regulations to
implement the integration of the medical profession including the various specialty divisions, the
specialty and subspecialty societies and their training program, and the component and affiliate

medical societies.

SEC. 5. Complaints. The PMA shall hear complaints against its members. The PMA
shall prescribe its rules to govern the conduct of its proceedings and the rules of its procedures.
The rules shall be liberally construed and the technical rules of procedure on evidence shall not

be strictly applied.

SEC. 6. Grounds. A person may file a verified complaint before the PMA against a
PMA member based on the following grounds:

(a) gross negligence, ignorance or incompetence in the practice of


(b) his/her profession resulting to death, physical injury to a person;

(0) conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction of any criminal

(a) offense involving moral turpitude;

(e) immoral or dishonorable conduct;

(f) insanity;

(Q) fraud in the acquisition of the certificate of registration, and professional license or
renewal thereof;

(h) addiction to alcoholic beverages or to any habit-forming drug rendering him or her
incompetent to practice his or her profession;

()) false or extravagant or unethical advertisement;

()_ performing or aiding in any criminal abortion;

(k) knowingly issuing any false medical certificate;

(\) Issuing any statement or spreading any news or humor which is derogatory to the
character and reputation of another physician without justifiable motive;

(m)Aiding or acting as a dummy of unqualified or unregistered person to practice
medicine;

(n) Violation of the Code of Ethics of the PMA.

SEC. 7. Penalties. . Tne PMA may impose penalties of reprimand, suspension or
expulsion. All cases filed or pending under this act shall not be discussed or taken in any forum
until after the same shall have been decided with finality.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules. The PMA shall promulgate the implementing rules and
guidelines of this act within eighty (80) days after the enactment of this act.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. if any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or
not valid, other provisions not affected herein shall remain in full force and effect

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. Provisions on the integration of professionals/professions
in the professional regulatory laws and all provisions of laws, decrees, order, rule and
regulations that are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly.

SEC, 11. Effectivity. This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the

Official Gazette or in any major leading newspaper of national circulation, which ever 's earlier.

Approved,