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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) ‘egal ool
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 7

HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES
House Bill No.g545

Introduced by: MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID
4% District, City of Manila

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIII, Section 11 of the Constitution provides that the State should
adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to. health development
which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services
available to all people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of
the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children.

Republic Act 7883, also known as the "Barangay Health Workers and
Benefits & Incentives Acts of 1995," provides incentives and benefits
which include hazard allowance, subsistence allowance, civil service
eligibility, free legal services and preferential access to loan to accredited
barangay health workers. This bill seeks to further provide an adequate health
insurance program to the barangay health workers, the true unsung heroes
who devote their lives to serve the Filipino people.

While the Philippines is the leading exporter of nurses and the second
major exporter of physicians, it is a sad irony that they migrate because of low
salaries, problems of unemployment, unjust working conditions and denied
benefits. According to the Department of Health, there are 199,546 active
barangay health workers (BHW) all over the country. They have the most
number among all health workers in the country.

‘The poor Filipinos in barangays deserve to be administered affordable
and accessible healthcare by their highly-skilled compatriots. Barangay Health
Workers, vulnerable because they are in the frontline in the State's battle for
ensuring the health of its citizens, deserve to be armored with an adequate
health insurance program.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
This is a House of Representative counterpart bill to one filed in the

Senate by Senator Loren Legarda.

MA. THERESA BONOAN-DAVID
4th District, City of Manila


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

HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES
House Bill No. 3545

Introduced by: MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID
4% District, City of Manila

AN ACT GRANTING COMPULSORY COVERAGE TO ACCREDITED
BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH
INSURANCE PROGRAM, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 7883, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7883, otherwise known as
the "Barangay Health Workers' Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995", is
hereby amended by adding a new subsection which shall read as follows:

"SEC. 6. Incentives and Benefits. - x x x

"(G) PHILHEALTH COMPULSORY COVERAGE. - ALL
BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS AND THEIR
DEPENDENTS SHALL BE ENROLLED IN THE NATIONAL
HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR THEM TO
RECEIVE AND AVAIL OF AN ADEQUATE PACKAGE
OF PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT MUST
INCLUDE IN-PATIENT HOSPITAL CARE, OUT-PATIENT
CARE, EMERGENCY AND TRANSFER SERVICES, AND
ALSO OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY HEALTH BENEFITS AS
MAY BE DEFINED BY THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH
INSURANCE CORPORATION (PHIC) AND THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNIT (LGU) WHERE THEY RENDER
SERVICES.

“THE NEEDED PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS AND,
THEREAFTER, THE STANDARD MONTHLY
CONTRIBUTIONS, SHALL BE BORNE BY THE
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT; SUCH THAT, UPON THE
PASSAGE OF THIS ACT, THE BARANGAY HEALTH
WORKERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS SHALL BE


OF ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES AS CONTAINED IN
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7875 OR THE NATIONAL HEALTH
INSURANCE ACT.

"THE BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS SHALL NOT BE
REQUIRED TO PAY MONTHLY CONTRIBUTIONS AND
ALL OTHER FEES OR CHARGES FOR THEM TO BE
ENTITLED TO THE PROGRAM'S BENEFITS."

SEC. 2. Oversight Provision. - Congress shall conduct a regular review of
this program which shall primarily evaluate its implementation with
regard to its impact and accomplishments. Such review shall be jointly
undertaken by the committees in the Senate and the House of
Representatives which have legislative jurisdiction over this program.

SEC. 3. Government Guarantee. - The government of the Republic of
the Philippines guarantees the financial viability of this program.

SEC. 4. Rules and Regulations. - The Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation, in consultation and coordination with the Department of
the Interior and Local Government and the leagues of governors,
vice governors and mayors of the Philippines, shall formulate within
one hundred (100) days the rules and regulations necessary to
implement this Act.

SEC. 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
invalid, the remainder or any of the provisions hereof not affected thereby
shall remain in force and effect.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
presidential issuances and other administrative rules and regulations or
parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.