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

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wed.

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill mandates the inclusion of day care workers among public health
workers who have certain rights and privileges under the law.

Republic Act No. 7305 or the “Magna Carta of Public Health Workers” is the
law governing the rights and privileges of public health workers in the country
Under the said law, public health workers are defined as all persons who are
engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons employed in all hospitals,
sanitaria, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, clinics and
other health-related establishments owned and operated by the Government or its
political subdivisions with original charters and shall include allied health
professional, administrative and support personnel employed regardless of their
employment status.

This law does not include day care workers whose positions are created
under Republic Act No. 6972 or An Act Establishing a Day Care Center in Every
Barangay, Instituting Therein a Total Development and Protection of Children
Program, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes. Said law provides
that barangay day care workers in accredited day care centers shall receive a
monthly allowance of not less than five Hundred Pesos (P500.00) to be charged to
the annual appropriations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development,
Since the decentralization of basic health and social services in 1990, the local
government unit is directly responsible for the management and operation of day-
care centers and the compensation of day care workers

As of 2000, there were 32,787 day-care centers in 41,943 barangays all over
the country. This is an improvement from year 1998 when 26.7 per cent of the
barangays did not have day care centers. Day care workers are not only confined in
taking care of their wards. They likewise assist the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) during calamities and facilitate the referral of cases of child
abuse to the Department. The compensation provided for by law is no longer
commensurate to the tasks they perform and the responsibilities they hold


This bill addresses that need by amending Sections 3 and 22 of Republic Act
No. 7305 to include day care workers under the enumeration on who are public
health workers. This would effectively address the meager allowance presently
received by day care workers and give them the recognition that has long been due
them.

In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly squght.

RUFUS B. RO! UEZ

Mi

MAXIMO B. RODRIGUEZ, JR.


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

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ne 27
House Bill No. 727

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

AN ACT
TO UPHOLD THE RIGHTS AND PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF DAY CARE
WORKERS BY CONSIDERING THEM PART OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7305 OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS

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

SECTION 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the “Magna
Carta of Public Health Workers”, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 3. Definition. - For purposes of this Act, “health workers" shall mean

all persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, and all
persons employed in all hospitals, sanitaria, health infirmaries, health
centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, DAY CARE CENTERS,
clinics and other health-related establishments owned and operated by the
Government or its political subdivisions with original charters and shall
include medical, allied health professional, administrative and support
personnel employed regardless of their employment status.

SECTION 2. Section 22 of Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the “Magna
Carta of Public Health Workers”, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 22. Subsistence Allowance. - Public health workers who are required
to render service within the premises of hospitals, sanitaria, health
infirmaries, main health centers, rural health units and barangay health
stations, DAY CARE CENTERS or clinics, and other health-related
establishments in order to make their services available at any and all times,
shall be entitled to full subsistence allowance of three (3) meals which may
be computed in accordance with prevailing circumstances as determined by
the Secretary of Health in consultation with the Management Health
Workers’ Consultative Councils, as established under Section 33 of this Act:
Provided, That representation and travel allowance shall be given to rural


health physicians as enjoyed by municipal agriculturists, municipal planning
and development officers and budget officers.

SEC. 3. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the
remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and
effect.

SEC. 4. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and
their implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,