FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
wp.No.__1603

INTRODUCED BY THE HONORABLE ANGELO PALMONES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Most tribes and settlements of indigenous cultural communities (ICC) are in the
hinterlands and often inaccessible or could be accessed only through foot trails and would
take a day or a number of days to reach. ICs depend on their traditional medicines and
healthcare whenever a member of the tribe becomes sick. It is not often that they can
avail of the benefits of modern medicine and healthcare.

For the past decades, govemment agencies (GA) and non-government organizations
(NGOs) have sought ways to improve the health conditions of Indigenous People (IPs),
and have addessed their health needs in different ways. The usual practice has been by
way of sending people/medical personnel to these indigenous communities in order to
treat common illnesses, With the formal health care delivery system in the Philippines
almost exclusively in the domain of the cities and municipalities, there is a need to train
health workers from tribal communities not reached by health workers to intensify prctice
of traditional and alternative medicine, as well as to provide first aid treatment for the
members of ICs where they belong...

To overcome this situation government has trained barangay health workers to provide
primary healthcare to members of the community. RA 7883 otherwise known as the
“Barangay’s Health Workers Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995” provides benefits to
these barangay health workers. However, there are many tribal communities that cannot
be reached by the Barangay Health Workers. They are also not available during the night,
weekends and holidays that ICs who get sick during these times are not provided with
the needed health services.


‘The delegation of Tribal Health Workers in indigenous communities was recommended
to complement the lead health agency in pursuing effective community-based health
service in the remote and isolated aeas. This aims to promote health and provide first aid
treatment within indigenous communities; lessen complication arising from common
illnesses; develop long term peventive and curative medicine; and augment the
inadequate community health workers and ensure sustainability of health care delivery
among the ICCs. - With this approach, a dramatic improvement in the health condition
among the indigenous people could be made possible.

Since the first line of treatment in the ICC communities rely on traditional medicine such
as herbal medicine, it is important and necessary that within each tribal community a
herbal garden be developed by the community.

‘There is therefore a need to establish and institutionalize tribal health workers who would
be responsible in providing primary health care in the communities where they reside,
thus 24 hour health services can be provided to the tribal communities,


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF
‘THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HLB. No. i603

INTRODUCED BY THE HONORABLE ANGELO B, PALMONES

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE TRIBAL HEALTH WORKERS AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

[REPUBLIC ACT NO.

SECTION 1. Title - The act shall be known as the “Tribal Health Workers Act of 2010”

SECTION 2. Statement of policy and objective ~The Philippine Constitution of 1987
provides that the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health
development which shall

dleavor to make

ial zoods, 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,

Furthermore, the State shall protect and promote the right of every citizen to health and
health care. The State shall provide the opportunities for every citizen to avail of these
health services.

SECTION 3 Definition of Terms

Barangay Health Workers — RA 7883 defines barangay health workers as referring to a
person who has undergone training programs under any accredited government or non-
government organization and who voluntarily renders primary health care services in the
community after having been accredited to function as such by the local health board in
accordance with the guidelines promulgated by the Department of Health (DOH).


Tribal Health Workers — refers to members of the ICC community who have undergone
training by government or non-government organizations and are rendering voluntary
health care in the tribal community.

SECTION 4 Tribal Health Workers — All tribal communities which are located about 10
km from the barangay center are qualified to have tribal health workers (THW)
depending upon the number of families residing therein. Every 30 families are entitled to
one tribal health worker. An additional of 20 families with in tribal community entitles
the community to an additional tribal health worker.

SECTION 5 — Selection and Training of Tribal Health Workers ~ The Tribal Chief shall
appoint, in accordance to the traditions of the tribe the tribal health worker and submit his
name to the local health board who in turn shall register the appointed tribal health
worker. The local health board will furnish a copy of the list of tribal health workers to
the Department of Health (DOH) which shall maintain a national list of tribal health
workers.

The DOH shall be responsible for the conduct of training to the tribal health workers. The
DOH may contract the services of non-government organizations (NGOs) to conduct the
training. The DOH shall be responsible for the content of the training, duration of training
and the contracting of NGO-trainers in case it cannot carry out the training itself.

SECTION 6 — Responsibilities of the tribal health workers — The THW is responsible for
providing primary health care to members of the tribes. He is also responsible, in
coordination with the family of the sick person, and/or local government units for
bringing the sick person to the nearest clinic or hospital.

Since primary health care may make use of herbal medicines that are traditional to the
tribe, the THW is mandated to establish herbal garden in the community, The Barangay
LGU, the municipal LGU and the CENRO of the DENR are hereby required to provide
assistance to the THW in establishing such herbal garden.

SECTION 7 - Benefits of Tribal Health Workers ~ Similar to the Barangay Health
Workers who are provided with a number of benefits under RA 7883, the THW are
granted the following incentives and benefits:

(a) Free health care insurance and hospitalization - The THW shall be provided
free government health care insurance, the Phil-Health Insurance. In addition,
the THW shall be entitled to free hospitalization in case of work-related
sickness or injury. The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) shall provide the insurance as well pay for the hospitalization of the
THW. The DSWD shall work closely with the local health boards in the


granting of these benefits to THW particularly in the identification of who are
entitled to the benefits.

(b) Educational benefits - The TH is entitled te free ies ig
schools and universities. Should the THW not be able to benei im this
incentive himself this benefit is transferrable to one of his/her legitimate
children. These benefits can be availed of only for as long as he/she remains
an active THW.

(©) Continuing training — The DOH shall be responsible for providing continuing
training to the THW on new and emerging primary health care management as
well as new and emerging herbal medicines.

(@) Free legal services ~ The Public Attomeys’ Office shall provide free legal
advice to THW if there is occasion that the latter needs one arising from or in
connection with the exercise of his/her duties and responsibilities as THW.

SECTION 8 — Rules and regulations of this Act ~ The DOH, the DSWD, the DILG and
the DENR shall be responsible for the formulation of the Implementing Rules (IRR) and
Regulations (IRR) of this Act within 180 days from its approval.

SECTION 9 ~ Separability clause — If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the
remainder, or any provision of this Act not affected thereby shall remain in force and in
effect.

SECTION 10 - Repealing clause — All laws, executive orders, proclamations, and other
presidential issuances which are inconsistent with this Act shall be deemed, amended or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 11 ~ Effectivity ~ This Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in at
least 2 newspapers of national circulation.

Approved: