NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 1732
of tlic t, ffnrp
23 JAN 23 P3 -40
RECEIVED BY;
Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR
AN ACT
GRANTING INCENTIVES AND OTHER BENEFITS TO RURAL HEALTH UNIT 
DOCTORS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Rural health unit doctors play an indispensable role in preserving and enhancing 
the health of rural inhabitants. These workers offer their service to far-flung areas, 
which, like any other areas, deeply in need of essential health services.
Geographically speaking, the distribution of healthcare professionals including 
nurses, doctors, and midwives in the country is unequal.1 Some works are 
concentrated to a few rural health unit doctors since most of them are more likely to 
work in cities and municipalities that have greater access to amenities like hospitals 
and clinics.2
Given the dedication of the rural health unit doctors, it is imperative that proper 
incentives and benefits should be granted to them.
Thus, this bill seeks to provide incentives to rural health unit doctors like hazard 
allowance, subsistence ailowance, and scholarships in the form of tuition fees and 
stipends. These will be a simple help for them and recognition for their efforts and 
hard work in delivering services to distant areas.
Therefore, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
v
^-------------
MARK A. VILLAR
1 Maldistribution of healthcare workers, (n.d.). PIDS - Philippine Institute for Development Studies. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from 
https://www.pids.gov.pli/details/new.s/in-the-news/maldistribution-of-hcalthcare-workers
2 Id.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 1732
S’pnnir
0( :i)f ^
23 JAN 23 P3 ^0
RECEIVED St
Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR
AN ACT
GRANTING INCENTIVES AND OTHER BENEFITS TO RURAL HEALTH UNIT 
WORKERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Sec. 1. Declaration of Policy. -The State shall protect and promote the right to
2 
health of people and instill health consciousness among them by giving each individual
3 
unimpaired access to health and information services. Towards this end, this Act shall
4 
provide incentives and benefits to rural health unit doctors, the front-liners in the
5 
promotion, protection and maintenance of health in the rural areas.
6 
Sec. 2. Rural health v\/orkers. 
Rural health workers"refers to all persons who
7 
are engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons employed in rural
8 
health units operated by Government or its political subdivisions with original charters
9 
and shall include medical, allied health professional, administrative and support
10 
personnel employed regardless of their employment status.
11 
Sec. 3. Incentives and Benefits. - In recognition of their services, rural unit
12 
health workers shall, in addition to their incentives and benefits granted under existing
13 
laws, be entitled to the following:
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a.) hazard allowance in an amount to be determined by the local health board
15 
of the local government unit concerned;


1 
b.) subsistence allowance equivalent to the meals they take in the course of
2 
their duty which shall be computed in accordance with prevailing
3 
circumstances as determined by the local government unit concerned; and
4 
c.) scholarships in the form of tuition fees and stipends.
5 
Sec. 4. Separability Clause. — If any section or provision of this Act shall be
6 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or the provisions not affected
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thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
8 
Sec. 5. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
9 
regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
10 
amended or modified accordingly.
11 
Sec. 6. Effectivity. —This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
12 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,