Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4205
HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT

CREATING A MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE
PROGRAM FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF QUALIFIED FILIPINOS WHO
WILL SERVE AS PRIMARY CARE WORKERS IN PRIORITY BARANGAYS,
MUNICIPALITIES, AND CITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article 13, Section 11, of the 1987 Philippine Constitutions states that:

"The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to
health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods,
health and other social services available to all the people at affordable
cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the under-privileged, Sick,
elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to
provide free medical care to paupers.”

Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code devolved health
service delivery to Local Government Units. This has tasked the DOH with the
impossibly complex task of coordinating 81 provinces, 1,600 cities and
municipalities and 42,000 barangays to provide the same level of health
services.


Unplanned specialization of skilled workers has produced an imbalance
between specialty and general health care. As a result, individuals often have
to consult directly with a specialist when it may not be needed. This is
unfortunate, as 75 percent to 85 percent of persons require only primary care
services in a given year. It can be summed up in one tragic statistic: 6 out of
every 10 Filipinos die without seeing a doctor.

This bill proposes a simple solution to provide a transition to a primary
care system. This measure defines primary care as a system of providing health
services in which front-line primary care providers serve as the initial point of
care, point of continuing care, and coordinator of necessary specialized
services.

Finally, as the point of continuing care, primary care providers shall act
as the coordinator and liaison between the patient and the secondary or
tertiary care provider.

In order to fill up the new Primary Care Provider positions, this bill seeks
to establish a medical scholarship and return program which will recruit
qualified Filipinos who will serve as primary care providers. Under the
program, the DOH shall provide a scholarship and financial assistance to
qualified Filipinos who shall complete a course on primary care and serve as
primary care providers in priority barangays, municipalities and Cities for at
least five (5) years.

Thus, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought.

FRED VARGAS


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4205
HOUSE BILL NO. __

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ALFRED VARGAS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

AN ACT
CREATING A MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE
PROGRAM FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF QUALIFIED FILIPINOS WHO
WILL SERVE AS PRIMARY CARE WORKERS IN PRIORITY BARANGAYS,
MUNICIPALITIES, AND CITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

ARTICLE I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Medical
Scholarship and Return Service nor Primary Care Act of 2019 *.

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State shall protect and promote the
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. The
State recognizes the essential role of a sufficient number of primary care
providers in promoting and protecting the right to health. To this end, there is
a need to create the positions of primary care providers, and retraining and
scholarship programs to recruit qualified individuals to serve as primary care
providers who will serve as the initial point of care, point of continuing care,
and the coordinator of necessary services in the health system.



Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act:

(a) Primary Core — refers to a system of providing health services in
which front-line primary care providers serve as the initial point of care,
point of continuing caret and coordinator of necessary specialized
services.

(b) Primary Care Provider - refers to Individuals who are provide primary
care services, which shall include the following:

. Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Services;

. Family Planning and Reproductive Health;
. Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases;

. Prevention and Control of Tropical Diseases;

. Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases; and
. Emergency Care.

Ousone

(c) Primary Care Scholarship and Return Service Program — refers to
the program created under this Act which seeks to recruit individuals to
serve as Primary Care Providers in priority Cities, municipalities, and
barangays.

Sec. 4. Establishment of the Primary Care Scholarship and
Return Service Program. — A primary care scholarship and return
program IS hereby established under the Department of Health (DOH).
Under this program, the DOH shall provide a scholarship and financial
assistance to qualified Filipinos who shall complete a course on primary
care on the condition that they shall serve as primary care providers in
priority barangays, municipalities and cities.

Sec. 5. Scope of the Scholarship Program. — The scholarship
program shall cover expenses such as, but not limited to:

(a) Tuition, laboratory and other school fees;

(b) Required textbooks, supplies and equipment;

(c) Clothing and uniform allowances; and

(d) Housing expenses, traveling expenses and subsistence and

living allowances;

Sec. 6. Conditions of the Scholarship Program. — The
scholarship program shall have the following conditions:


(a) The scholar shall pass the admission examinations and related
requirements of the UPCM in the first two (2) years of this Act's
effectivity, or In any other university that offers the primary care
course thereafter;

(b) The scholar shall carry the full load of subjects prescribed per
semester under the primary care program;

() The scholar shall pay the full amount of the scholarship if he
or she falls to complete the course; and

(d) The scholar shall, upon completion of the course, serve as a
Primary care for at least five (5) years in a barangay health center,
rural health unit, or City health office as determined by the DOH:
Provided, that the DOH shall prioritize barangay, municipalities,
and cities which have an acute shortage of health human
resources.

Sec. 7. Duties and Responsibilities of Primary Care Providers.
- Primary care providers under this Act shall have the following
responsibilities:
(a) As the initial point of care, they shall strive to render general
health care services to all persons at the onset of disease to
prevent costly treatment on the secondary and tertiary levels of
care, which shall include:

Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Services;
Family Planning and Reproductive Health;

Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases;
Prevention and Control of Tropical Diseases;

Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases;
. Emergency Care;

(b) As the coordinator of necessary specialized services, they shall,
when necessary, refer patients to secondary or tertiary care
providers. They shall serve as the coordinators and navigators of
the health care system; and

ON FONE

(c) As the point of continuing care, they shall act as the
coordinator and liaison between the patient and the secondary or
tertiary care provider.

Sec. 8. Information Dissemination. — The DOH and the
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and its


attached agencies shall conduct regular information dissemination
campaigns on the programs under this Act.

Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. —The members
of the technical committee along With the DBM, CHED and the PCOO
shall promulgate the Implementing rules and regulations of this Act
within thirty (30) days from its effectivity.

Sec. 10. Appropriation. -- The amounts necessary for the
effective Implementation of this Act shall be included under the
appropriations of the Department of Health under the annual General
Appropriations Act.

Sec. 11 Penalties. — Any primary care provider who falls to
comply with Section 14 (d) of this Act shall be, upon conviction,
perpetually disqualified from employment and re-employment In the
government service and pay a fine of five hundred thousand pesos
(Php5S00, 000) to one million pesos (Php1, 000,000), without prejudice
to the imposition of administrative sanctions such as the revocation of
their certificate of completion or their suspension from providing
primary care.

Sec. 12. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any part,
section or provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, the
remaining provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full
force and effect.

Sec. 13. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules and regulations, and other issuances, or parts
thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 14. Effectivity Cause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)

days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of
general circulation

Approved,