Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

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NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 205

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. FRANCE L. CASTRO,
GABRIELA Women’s Party Rep. ARLENE D. BROSAS,
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT
ALLOWANCE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted two of the most important, yet perpetually

unfunded and unimplemented, provisions of Republic Act 4670 or The Magna Carta For

Public School Teachers:

Section 22. Medical Examination and Treatment. Compulsory medical
examination shall be provided free of charge for all teachers before they take
up teaching, and shall be repeated not less than once a year during the
teacher’s professional life. Where medical examination show that medical
treatment and/or hospitalization is necessary, the same shall be provided free
by the government entity paying the salary of the teachers.

In regions where there is scarcity of medical facilities, teachers may obtain
elsewhere the necessary medical care with the right to be reimbursed for their
traveling expenses by the government entity concemed in the first paragraph
of this Section.

Section 23. Compensation for Injuries. Teachers shall be protected against
the consequences of employment injuries in accordance with existing laws.
The effects of the physical and nervous strain on the teacher’s health shall be
recognized as a compensable occupational disease in accordance with existing
laws


Simply put, these provisions emphasize the right of public school teachers to be taken
care of by their employer—the government—in both body and mind.

Much of this provision is implemented only in minimal levels. It is only in recent
years that direct funding was incorporated into the General Appropriations Acts, with a
P500 medical allowance found in Special Provisions in the DepEd budget beginning 2019.
(Although a Magna Carta benefivright, DepEd calls this “Financial Assistance to Public
School Teachers for Payment of Medical Examination Expenses” in its issuances.) Initially,
this was subjected to a “conditional veto” and included as part of PhilHealth and not actually
given to teachers as cash benefit. Of course, PhilHealth provides for benefits from the
contributions of the employee, while a benefit provided by GAA is appropriated, that is, nor
deducted from the employee’s salaries

All too often, teachers have no choice but to spend out-of-pocket for tests not covered
by the annual physical examination (usually urinalysis and chest x-ray only), or those which
the meager P500 cannot cover. And of course, there is no benefit of whatever amount
coming from government for the check-ups and tests during those times that they come
down with illnesses.

The enactment of Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act effectively
strengthened the rights of public school teachers under Sections 22 and 23 of the Magna
Carta, with the former’s mandate of mental health promotion in educational institutions via
support and services, among others, and mandate on employers, the government in this case,
to provide support for their employees with mental health conditions

But the absence of a statute specifying the amount and coverage of an allowance for
medical examination and treatment has become the excuse for forgetting the right of public
school teachers to be taken care of. ‘Thus, this proposal for a 10,000, which is an estimate
of the amount sufficient to cover the mandated physical and mental examinations and tests
under pertinent resolutions, orders, and other issuances of the Civil Service Commission,
among others.

This bill works in tandem with the other proposals of the Makabayan Bloc relating to
health in the education sector, such as the Safe Reopening of Schools Act, and to health
services in general, such as the Free National Public Health System Act.

Immediate approval of this bill is therefore sought

. CASTRO
's Party-List

Lattin!

&€p. ARLENE D. BROSAS Rep. RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL
GABRIELA Women's Party KABATAAN Party-List



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

ETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 205

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. FRANCE L. CASTRO,
GABRIELA Women’s Party Rep. ARLENE D. BROSAS,

and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT
ALLOWANCE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known and cited as “The Medical Examination and
Treatment Allowance for Public School Teachers Act of 2022.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to promote
and improve the economic status of teachers and assist them in providing quality education
to their students. To this end, the State shall also promote the basic right of teachers to
physical and mental health, which duty includes protecting them against the consequences of
employment injuries, such as the effects of the physical and nervous strain on the teacher’s
health, among others

SEC. 3. Medical Examination and Treatment Allowance, A Medical Examination and
Treatment Allowance for the annual physical and mental examination, treatment, and
hospitalization is hereby granted in the amount of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) per
teacher per school year: Provided, That this allowance shall be exempt from income tax.

SEC. 4. Coverage. The grant of the allowance authorized in this Act shall be granted to
teachers as defined by Republic Act 4670 or The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers
Act.


SEC. 5. Funding. The amount necessary for the grant of Medical Examination and
Treatment Allowance authorized under this Act shall be charged against the appropriations
of the DepEd under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

SEC. 6. Periodic Review for Increases. The Secretary of Education is hereby mandated to
conduct a periodic review of the Teaching Supplies Allowance, taking into account the
current prices of classroom supplies, and, if warranted, recommend the necessary increase in
the amount of the allowance

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, resolutions, orders or ordinances, rules and
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (1'5) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,