Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HrfusE BILL NO.   9255
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVH JONATHAN KEITH T. FLORES
HXPLANATORY NOTE
On March 26,1992, Republic Act (RA) No. 7305, otherwise known as The Magma Carta
of Public Health Workers was signed into law in order to promote the social and economic well-
being of health workers, their living and working conditions and terms of employment, to develop
their skills and capabilities to be better equipped to deliver health projects and programs, and to
encourage  those  with  proper  qualifications  and  excellent  abilities  to  join  and  remain  in
goverrment service
R.A. No. 7305 is a more than three decades old law, and prevailing economic conditions
warrant a review of the statutory benefits and incentives afforded by the said law to our health
workers.  It  is  worthy  to  state that  such benefits  and  incentives  can no  longer be  considered
nowadays as subsisting and commensurate to the nature of their services to the people.
Our public health workers (PHWs) are the country's solid front-liners when it comes to
public health service delivery. Undeniably, their valuable and indispensable contribution in the
national efforts to combat the COVID-19 have earned them the nation's gratitude and admiration
for staying in the country to serve the Filipino nation even to the point of risking their own lives
and that of their families. They deserve not just accolades, but commendable, commensurate and
living benefits and incentives for their sacrifices in public service delivery.
It's important to recognize and appreciate the hard work and sacrifices made by public
health workers in the Philippines. They play a crucial role in keeping our communities healthy
and safe.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of the bill is earnestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRES S
Second Regular Session
H+OUSEBILLNo.9255
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN KEITH T. FLORES
AN ACT
TO FURTHER PROMOTE THE GENHRAL lh7HLFARE AND ENHANCE TIIE STATUTORY
BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7305, OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS TIIE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Representatives Of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 3. De¢#j/z.o#. -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 the Department of Health
(DOH)   Central   Office   (CO),   Centers   for   Health   Development   (CHD),   Treatment   and
Rehabilitation Centers (TRC), Attached Agencies (AA), Provincial Health Office (PHO), City
Health Office (CHO), Municipal Health Office (MHO) and all public 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 medical, allied health professionals, administrative and support personnel employed
in other national government agencies (NGAs), including State Universities and Colleges (SUCs),
Government-Owned and Controlled- Coxporatious (GOCCs),  Government Finance Institutions
(GFls) and Local Government Units (LGUs) holding permanent or temporary status; casual or
contractual whose salaries are charged against Personal Services (PS) lump sum appropriation,
rendering services on full-time or part-time basis and whose positions are covered by Republic
Act No. 6758 otherwise known as the "Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989."
SEIC. 2. Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 9. Dz.scrjmr.#¢/i.oJ® Profozbi+ed. -A Public Health Worker (PHW) shall not be discriminated
against with regard to political or religious affiliations, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity,
civil status, age, disability, or ethnicity in the exercise of his or her profession."
SEC. 3. Section 11 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC.  11.  z4dm7.77z.strczJ7.ve  CAczrges.  -Administrative  charges  against  a  national  public  health
worker shall be heard by a committee or officer designated by the disciplining authority or its
delegated officer or officers under its jurisdiction, in accordance with Executive Order 292, its
implementing rules and regulations, and other pertinent civil service laws, rules and regulations.


For local public health workers, administrative charges shall be heard by a committee or officer
created or designated by the Provincial or City Health Board, in accordance with pertinent rules
and regulations.
The committee or hearing officer shall submit recommendation to the appropriate disciplining
authority within thiny (30) days from the termination of the investigation and hearings.
Where the provincial health officer or head of health facilities has been determined to be a party-
in-interest, the members of the committee or the designated officer shall be appointed by the
Secretary of Health."
SEC. 4. Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC.  18. IVz.gfof Sfez/I Dz:grere77f].cz/. - (a) Every Public Health Worker shall be paid a night shift
differential of twenty percent (20%) of his or her regular wage for each hour of work performed
between six (6) o'clock in the evening to six (6) o'clock in the moming.
(b) Every health worker required to work on the period covered after his or her regular schedule
shall be entitled to his or her regular wage plus the regular overtime rate and an additional anount
of twenty percent (20°/o) of such overtime rate for each hour of work perform between six (6)
o'clock in the evening to six (6) o'clock in the moming."
SEC. 5. Section 21 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 21. fJczzc7rd.4//owcr7qce. -By the nature of their work, which subject them to health hazards
and occupational risks, all public health workers regardless of the degree of their exposure to
such hazards and risks shall be entitled to a monthly hazard allowance of Twenty - Five Percent
(25%) of their basic monthly salary across the board without prejudice to increase of this amount
as may be warranted in the future by the Secretary of Health."
SEC. 6. Section 22 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 22. Swbfz.s/e#ce .4//owa#ce. -All Public Health Workers shall be entitled to full
subsistence allowance equivalent to Php 500.00 per day for rendering actual services and shall be
increased based on the prevailing economic circumstances as may be warranted in the future by
the Secretary of Health in consultation with the Management-Health Workers Consultative
Council.„
SHC. 7. Section 24 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 24. I,cr"#c7ry .4//owcz7®ce. -All Public Health workers who are required to wear uniforms
regularly shall be entitled to laundry allowance equivalent to One Thousand Pesos (1,000.00) per
month and shall be increased based on the prevailing economic circumstances as may be
warranted in the future by the Secretary of Health in consultation with the Management-Health
Workers Consultative Council."
SHC. 8. Section 34 (b) of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"b.) opportunity for health workers to grow and develop their potentials and experience a sense of
worth and dignity  in their work.  Public  health workers  who  undertake relevant post-graduate
studies in a degree course shall be entitled for an upgrade in position or promotion, or a raise in
pay: Provz.ded, That it shall not be more often than every two (2) years: Prow.dec7, /»r/fee7.,  That
upon promotion to a higher position, the public health worker shall cany over and retain the step
increment in the position held before the upgrade in position or promotion, or a raise in pay."


SEC. 9. Section 35 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 35. Jmp/eme#/z.#g R#/es ¢#d Regr¢Ja/z.o#s. -The Secretary of Health after consultation with
appropriate agencies of the Government as well as professional and health workers' organizations
or unions, shall formulate and prepare the necessary rules and regulations to implement the
provisions of this Act, which shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication in a newspaper of
general circulation."
SEC.10. Section 36 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SiEC. 36. Periodic Review Of the Magna Carta f or Public Health Workers. -AIL prow.rstrous
with   monetary   implications   shall   be   reviewed   by   the   council   periodically   to   be
recommended to the Secretary of Health for approval in consultation with the appropriate
government agencies concerned under existing laws, rules and regulations. and prevailing
practices.
SEC.11. Section 38 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC.  38.  Bztdge/ ESJz."a/es.  -  For National  Government  Agencies  (NGAs)  including
SUCs:
The amounts required for the payment of Magma Carta benefits shall be charged against the
respective agency's appropriations or budget.  The payment Magma Carta benefits of the
public health workers in the government shall be charged to the appropriations authorized
in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Augmentation thereof from any available savings
of the agency shall be subject to the approval of the DBM.
The Magma Carta benefits for contractual and casual personnel shall be charged against the
respective agency lump sum appropriations from which their salaries or wages are drawn.
For  GOCCs  and  GFls,  the  amounts  required  shall  be  charged  against  their  respective
corporate funds in the approved corporate operating budget.
SEC. 12. Scpar¢bi./try CJ¢irsc. -If any provision of this Act or part thereof is declared unconstitutional,
the other provisions or parts not affected thereby shall remain valid and effective.
SEC. 13. jRepca/I."g C7¢use. - All other laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 14. EJLTcc/I.tJl.fy. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in the
Official Gazette and in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,