EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session
eguiar ) (42:17 p.m. %)
SENATE

SILLS WINDEX

COMMITTEE REPORT No. __ 86

Submitted jointly by the Committees on Higher Technical and Vocational Education;

Health and Demography; and Finance on__ May 11 2020

Re: Senate Bill No. 1520
Recommending its approval in substitution of Senate Bill Nos. 1, 1130 and 1283

Sponsor: Senator Villanueva

MR. PRESIDENT:

The Committees on Higher Technical and Vocational Education; Health and
Demography; and Finance, to which was referred Senate Bill No. 1, introduced by
Senator Vicente C. Sotto III, entitled:

“AN ACT
PROVIDING MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND
COLLEGES TO QUALIFIED STUDENTS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

Senate Bill No. 1130, introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto, entitled:
“AN ACT

PROVIDING FOR FULL TUITION SUBSIDY TO MEDICAL STUDENTS
ENTROLLED IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES (SUCS) AMENDING


FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE “UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT”, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR”

And Senate Bill No. 1283, introduced by Senator Joel Villanueva, entitled:

“AN ACT
PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIP TO QUALIFIED STUDENTS TAKING MEDICAL
EDUCATION PROGRAMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES”

have considered the same and have the honor to report them back to the Senate,
with the recommendation that the attached Senate Bill No. 1520 authored by
Senator Sotto III, Recto, and Villanueva be approved in substitution of Senate Bill

Nos.1, 1130, and 1283 with the recommendation that it be approved immediately.


Respectfully submitted:

Chairpersons

SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE T. GO
Committee on Health and We
Vice-Chairperson, Commi ‘on Finance

Member, Committee on Higher, Technical and
Vocational Education

SENATOR SONNY ANGARA

Committee on Finance

Member, Committee on Higher, Technical and
Vocational Education

EL VILLANUEVA
Higher, Technical and Vocational

Vice-Chailferson, Committee on Finance

Vice-Chairpersons

SENATOR PIA S. CAYETANO
Committees on Health\4nd Demography;

and Finance

Member, Committee on Higher, Technical and
Vocational Education

Committee on Health and Demograt
‘Member, Committees on Higher, Teaffnical and
Vocational Education; and Committe on Finance

SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocational
Education; and Finance

bgt i] ae
SENATOR CYNTHIA S. VILLAR
Committee on Finance

Member, Committee on Higher, Technical and
Vocational Education


Commitee on Finance;

Member, Committees on Higher, Technical and
Vocational Education; and Committee on Health and
Demography

SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS

Committee on Finance;

Member, Committees on Higher, Technical and
Vocational Education; and Health and Demography

SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
Committee on Finance;
Member, Committee on Health and Demography

Members

SENATOR FRANCIS “TOL” N. TOLENTINO
Committees on Health and Demography; and
Finance

SENATOR AQUILINO “KOKO” PIMENTEL
I
Committee on Health and Demography

RAMON BONG REVILLA JR.
jttees on Higher, Technical and Vocational
Education; and Finance

SENATOR GRACE POE
Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocational
Education; and Finance

ANFILO M. LACSON
ees oft Higher, Technical and Vocational
Education; and Health and Demography


SENATOR |ANNY” D. SENATOR “LITO”. LAP!
PACQUIAO Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocgtional
Committee on Finance Education; and Finance

festectede
SENATOR [LA M. DE LD

Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocational
Education; and Finance

** May interpellate/amend
SENATOR FRANYIS “KIKO”

Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocational
Education; Health and Demography; and
Finance

HON. VICENTE C. SOTTO III
Senate President


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )
SENATE
BULS
S. B. NO. 1520

(In Substitution of S.B. Nos. 1, 1130 and 1283)

Prepared by the Committee on Higher, and Technical and Vocational
Education, with Senators Sotto III, Recto, and Villanueva as Authors

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE
PROGRAM FOR DESERVING STUDENTS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Medical Scholarship
Act.”
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared the policy of the State
to protect and promote the right to health of the people through the formulation
and implementation of policies and strategies for the appropriate generation,
recruitment, retraining, regulation, retention, and reassessment of health
workforce for the needs of the population. It is also the declared policy of the
State to promote social justice by expanding access to quality education and
creating opportunities for underprivileged individuals.
Towards these goals, the State shall institutionalize a medical scholarship
program for deserving and qualified aspiring, new, and continuing medical
students, that will establish access for them to pursue education in the field of
medicine, integrate them, upon qualifying as doctors of medicine, into the
public health care system to provide quality basic, promotive, preventive and
curative health care services in under-served, remote, economically


underdeveloped, distressed, conflict-afflicted and/or geographically isolated

and disadvantaged areas.

SEC. 3. Establishment of the Medical Scholarship and Return Service

Program. — There shall be established a Medical Scholarship and Return

Service Program (MSRSP) for deserving Filipino students in State Universities

and Colleges (SUCs) and in partner private higher education institutions (PHEIs)

in regions where there are no SUCs offering medicine; Provided, that the
applicant has satisfied the qualifications enumerated in Section 5 of this Act.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) may designate more than one

partner higher education institutions (HEI) in the region, as deemed necessary,

upon consultation with the DOH.

SEC. 4. Coverage of the Medical Scholarship and Return Service

Program. - The student financial assistance under the MSRSP shall cover the

following:

a) Tuition and other school fees;

b) Allowance for prescribed books, supplies and equipment;

¢) — Clothing or uniform allowance;

d) Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation, or
transportation allowance, whichever is more applicable;

e) Internship fees, including financial assistance during the required
internship period;

f) | Medical board review fees and licensure fees; Provided, that the support
shall only be limited to the first licensure examination of the scholar
concerned taken within one (1) year after graduation or completion of
post-graduate internship and other academic requirements, as
appropriate;

g) Annual medical insurance; and

h) — Subsistence or living allowance.

SEC. 5. Qualification Requirements. - An applicant to the MSRSP shall

possess the following qualifications:

a) Must be a natural-born or naturalized Filipino citizen residing in the
Philippines;


4)

e)

Must have a family income not sufficient to support medical education;
Must be a graduating student or a graduate of an appropriate
undergraduate program identified as a prerequisite for a Doctor of
Medicine degree from any CHED-recognized HEI or a direct entrant to the
integrated pre-medical and medical degree program, such as the seven-
year Integrated Liberal Arts Medicine (INTARMED) Program of the
University of the Philippines, who satisfactorily completes the first two (2)
years of the program; Provided, That deserving incoming second year
medical students and those in the higher year levels of the Doctor of
Medicine program may also apply for the MSRSP, as long as they have
maintained a general weighted average of at least a passing grade in the
past terms preceding their scholarship application;

Must have passed the entrance examinations and other related
requirements for admission for a Doctor of Medicine degree in the SUC or
PHEI where the scholarship intends to enroll, as determined by CHED and
the DOH; and

Must have obtained the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) score
mandated by CHED and the cut-off score required by the SUC or PHEI
where the student intends to enroll in.

SEC. 6. Conditions for the Grant of Scholarship. - Students accepted to
the MSRSP shall be subject to the following conditions:

a)

b)

©)

Must sign an agreement containing the terms and conditions for the grant
of the scholarship as provided under this Act and as may be prescribed in
the implementing rules and regulations;

Must carry the full load of subjects prescribed per semester by the SUC or
the PHEI concerned, and shall under no circumstance, drop a course
which will result in underloading;

Must finish the entire Doctor of Medicine program within the prescribed
time frame of the SUC or PHEI where the scholar is enrolled in, subject to
the retention policies of the SUC or the PHEI; Provided that, the scholar
may be allowed, for valid and justifiable reasons, to file a leave of absence
for one (1) academic year;


a)

)

fy

Must undertake the required medical internship in a DOH-accredited
public health facility or hospital upon graduation from a four-year Doctor
of Medicine program, subject to the Association of Philippine Medical
Colleges (APMC) Intern Matching Program or the rules and regulations of
the SUC or PHEI concerned;

Must take the board examination within a maximum period of one (1) year
after completion of an internship program; and

Must agree to render return of service as provided under Section 8 of this
Act.

SEC. 7. Termination of Scholarship and Penalties. — The grant of benefits
under the MSRSP shall be terminated and the scholar shall repay the full cost

of scholarship and related benefits received in case of the following

circumstances:

a)

b)

)

If the scholar fails to comply with any of the conditions for the grant of
scholarship as provided under Section 6 of this Act;

If the scholar accepts another scholarship from other government or
private agencies or entities while enjoying the benefits under this Act;

If the scholar fails in forty percent (40%) of the subjects he/she is enrolled
in or fails to meet the academic requirements of the SUC or the PHEI or
to complete the course within the prescribed period without valid cause
as may be determined by the SUC or PHEI, CHED or DOH: Provided, That
instead of repaying in cash the full cost of the scholarship and related
expenses, the terminated scholar may opt to repay the same in kind by
working in the public health sector for a period equivalent to the number
of years the scholarship has been availed; Provided further, That the
alternative return service shall exclude the period of internship and
residency training; and

While being a scholar, the scholar commits gross misconduct in a manner
that would bring significant damage to the SUC or PHEI concerned or to
the community as a whole.


SEC. 8. Mandatory Return Service and Integration into the Public
Health and Medical Service System. - Within one (1) year from the
passing of the licensure examinations for physicians, the scholar shall serve in
a government public health office or government hospital in the scholar’s
hometown, province or region or, in the presence of threat for his/her safety,
in any underserved municipality determined by the DOH as a priority area, for
‘one (1) year for every year that the scholarship has been availed of; Provided,
That such mandatory return service and integration into the public health and
medical service system under this Act shall be separate and distinct from the
return service requirement, if any, of the SUC or PHEI concerned, the
mandatory post-graduate internship in a DOH-accredited public health facility
required by Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) as a prerequisite for
taking the PLE and the residency training.

In the event that a physician-scholar fails or refuses to serve the return service
required under this Act, he/she shall be required to pay the full cost of the
scholarship, including other benefits and related expenses incurred by reason
of participation in the scholarship program. In case of non-payment, the PRC
shall deny the renewal of the physician's license: Provided, That the sanction
shall not apply to physicians who fail to comply with the required return service
on account of, or by reason of, severe or serious illness.

In the event that a scholar has failed to obtain a passing grade in his/her PLE
within five (5) years from the time he/she has completed his/her mandatory
internship program, the scholar shall have the option to pay the full cost of the
scholarship and other related expenses, or in lieu thereof, be integrated into
the public health and medical service system in accordance with this Section.
SEC. 9. Integration of All Nationally-Funded Medical Scholarship
Programs. — Upon the effectivity of this Act, all nationally-funded medical
scholarship programs shall be harmonized, rationalized and consolidated under
the MSRSP.

SEC. 10, Determination of Number and Allocation of Scholars to be
Admitted. — Every five (5) years from the effectivity of this Act, the DOH and
CHED shall, upon assessing the shortage of health human resource workforce


in the country against the ideal standards and the National Health Human
Resource Master Plan created under Section 23 of RA 11223 or Universal Health
Care (UHC) Law, and upon consultation with participating SUCs and PHEIs, the
Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the PRC, shall determine
the number and allocation of scholars to be admitted every school year;
Provided, that in determining the allocation quota of the scholars to be admitted
to the program, utmost priority is given to regions with the low doctor-to-
population ratios,

SEC. 11. Funding. - The amount necessary to carry out the implementation
of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriation of the
participating SUC, DOH and CHED.

Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous implementation of the
medical scholarship provided under this Act shall be included in the scholarship
program of SUCs and CHED in the annual in the General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within one hundred
eighty days (180) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health
and the Chairman of CHED, in consultation with various SUCs and PHEIs and
other relevant stakeholders, shall jointly promulgate the rules and regulations
necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 13. Separability Clause. — If any part or provision of this Act shall be
held invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts or provisions hereof that are
not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, or rules inconsistent with
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 15. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Officia/ Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,