Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 7866

Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution guarantees that
“{t}he State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill
health consciousness among them.” In operationalizing this, the Philippine
National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) were established.
Republic Act No. 8551, amending Republic Act No. 6975, states, in Section 2,
paragraphs (2) and (3), that the PNP “shall be a community and service oriented
agency responsible for the maintenance of peace and order and public safety,”
with emphasis placed in honing the “efficiency and effectiveness of its members
and units in the performance of their functions.” Meanwhile, Section 2 of
Republic Act No. 9514 provides that “[iJt is the policy of the State to ensure public
safety, promote economic development through the prevention and suppression
of all kinds, of destructive fires, and promote the professionalization of the fire
service as a profession.”

While these policies make it clear that ensuring public safety is one of the
Government's priorities, and that it relies on the PNP and BFP to enforce and
defend the same, it also becomes unquestionable that the very personnel of those
two frontliner agencies should themselves be well-protected. The unavoidable
conclusion is that the Congress bears the responsibility of enacting measures to
keep PNP and BFP personnel as safe as possible from the hazards of their duties.
These men and women should always be able to charge head on into their duties
with the thought that there would be dedicated and competent medical
professionals ready to come to their aid, should they so need such attention.
Moreover, they should be assured that, should the situation ever call for
procedures a step above first aid, there would still be no problem getting that.

Congress can carry out that responsibility through this Bill, which shall
have every police station and fire station staffed with at least one certified


eVauswne

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), whose training and/or education already
qualify them as paramedics. Additionally, this Bill shall provide for: 1) regular
mandatory training for the EMTs; and 2) competitive salary as incentive for the
said EMTS to continuously serve at their posts.

It is for the foregoing premises that the approval of this Bill is earnestly

sought.

ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS
Representative, Ang Probinsyano Party-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 7666

Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR PARAMEDICS TO BE STATIONED AT EACH
POLICE STATION AND FIRE STATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Paramedics for
Firefighters and Police Officers Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes its duties of
securing the safety of the first responder personnel in the Philippine National
Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), especially at the scene of
their operations. As such, the State acknowledges the necessity of providing
paramedic-level Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in each of the police
stations and fire stations.

SECTION 3. Hiring of Paramedics. - The Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG) shall hire certified EMTs, whose training and/or education
qualify them as paramedics, and shall station at least one such EMT in every
police station and fire station in the Philippines.

The list of qualifications of the EMTs, as well as the procedures the
application, evaluation, and selection processes, shall be decided with finality in
close consultation with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), to ensure that the EMTs
shall be properly trained in, and authorized to, perform medical procedures more
advanced than first aid measures. i

SECTION 4. Training of Paramedics. - All EMTs hired under this Act shall
be required to attend and participate in regular practical training and other
avenues or forms of continuous education.


‘Those whose performance have been exemplary, for a certain period of
review, the procedures and standards of which shall be detailed in the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of this Act, may be sponsored by the
DILG and sent as a national representative to international level trainings,
seminars, and the like.

SECTION 5. Competitive Salary for Paramedics. — All EMTs hired under
this Act shall be provided with a competitive salary, to incentivize them towards
long-term service with the PNP or BFP.

SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DILG, as lead
implementing agency, shall produce this Act’s IRR. In so doing, it shall have
consultations with the PNP and the BFP, as well as the DOH and TESDA.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act is
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts unaffected
shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential
decrees or issuances, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules, and
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,