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

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4547

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

For the past years, our country has been suffering from a
massive “Brain Drain” brought about by our very own scholars
seeking job opportunities abroad.

Although there is nothing wrong with the act of per se seeking
out greener pastures, there is however an imperative need to
somehow regulate our strong sense of individualism in exchange
for a small dosage of national progress and development.

The Philippines is a country full of brilliant minds and
undeniable talents. Yet, one is left to wonder how come we, as a
country, remain as one of the poorest in the world. The answer to
this is very simple. Even though the Philippines has the ability to
produce intelligent and skillful citizens through the funding
provided by our very own taxpayers, the well-abled graduates of
state universities and other public colleges flock overseas to obtain
employment with better pay. They are utterly forgetting that the
money that sent them to college and enabled them to finish their
degrees came from the tax paying citizens of our country, majority
of which are themselves poor and earning minimum wage. Because
of this, the poor citizens of our nation remain helplessly poor and
those who are well-educated turn a blind eye to the former who
actually helped them reach their dreams in the first place.


It is about time that we give back to the humble citizens of
our country who continuously and religiously give up a portion of
their measly salaries in order to send students to state universities
and public colleges.

One of the greatest needs of our people is medical attention.
A lot of people from remote barrios and far-flung barangays in this
country could not receive a decent medical service due to
geographical barriers. Considering that Medicine is the most
expensive postgraduate course there is, it is only fair and
reasonable that those who completed the said course in public
universities or colleges be mandated to practice their profession in
the Philippines first for a period of five(5) years before they can
work abroad so that our citizens can experience good medical
services from our very own doctors; Alternatively, they may opt to
render their services in the form of free medical missions in the
remote areas of our country for the same purpose of reaching out
to our people who need their help the most.

This bill recognizes the nobility in the act of paying back and
paying forward which will inevitably lead our country to progress
and give our people better condition of living. Moreover, this bill
seeks to eliminate the sweeping effects of the “Brain Drain”
epidemic that has been prevalent for quite sometime now. It is only
for this reason that the approval of this bill is being sought.

an 6. OW,

ERIC L. OLIVAREZ


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

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4547
House Bill No."

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

AN ACT MANDATING ALL NEWLY LICENSED MEDICINE
GRADUATES OF STATE UNIVERSITIES AND/OR OTHER
PUBLIC COLLEGES TO PRACTICE THEIR PROFESSION IN
THE PHILIPPINES FOR FIVE YEARS FROM THE TIME OF
THEIR OATH TAKING AS DOCTORS OR TO CONDUCT AT
LEAST 20 MEDICAL MISSIONS IN DIFFERENT MISSION
/DEPRESSED AREAS AND/OR FAR-FLUNG BARANGAYS IN
THE COUNTRY BEFORE THEY CAN OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT
OR ENGAGE IN PRIVATE PRACTICE OVERSEAS.

SECTION 1, SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known as the
“Mandatory Local Medical Service Act of 2014.”

SECTION 2, COVERAGE. This Act shall only cover doctors
or newly licensed graduates of Medicine who obtained their degrees
in state universities or other public colleges; Or in the case that
he/she obtained his/her medical degree in a private institution,
this Act shall still apply if he/she has completed at least 70% of
his/her required units in a state university or a public college.

SECTION 3. MANDATORY LOCAL PRACTICE. A doctor or
a newly licensed medicine graduate of a state university or public
college who is covered under this Act must practice his or her
profession for at least five (5) years in the Philippines before he or
she can go abroad for employment or private practice thereat.


SECTION 4. MANDATORY MEDICAL MISSION. As an
alternative to Section 3 hereof, a doctor or newly licensed medicine
graduate of a State University or public college may opt to hold or
conduct instead at least twenty (20) free medical missions in
different mission/depressed areas or far-flung barangays of the
country. Each medical mission must be conducted for at least
eight hours for each mission/depressed area or far-flung
barangay. No credit shall be given to a doctor or newly licensed
medicine graduate of a state university or public college if the 20
medical missions were conducted in the same mission/depressed
area or barangay or in an affluent residential area or in a
subdivision.

SECTION 5. PROOF OF COMPLIANCE, MANDATORY
SERVICE. Proof of employment indicating the number of years of
service in the country shall be considered as primary proof of
compliance with this Act. However, other competent documents
and evidence as verified and approved by the Professional
Regulatory Commission (PRC) may be accepted as proof of
compliance with this Act.

SECTION 6. PROOF OF COMPLIANCE, MANDATORY
MEDICAL MISSION. A certification from the barangay captains of
the barangays or mission/depressed areas where the medical
missions were conducted as per Section 4 hereof shall be obtained
by each doctor as primary proof of compliance with this Act.

SECTION 7. PROOF OF COMPLIANCE AS PART OF THE
CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS. The proofs of compliance
contemplated in Sections 5 and 6 hereof shall be part of the
requirements for clearance before doctors who are graduates of
state universities and other public colleges can be allowed to leave
the country for the purpose of overseas employment or private
practice of their profession thereat.

SECTION 8. PENALTY FOR VIOLATION OF THIS ACT. Any
person who commit any violation of this Act shall be meted with
imprisonment of five (5) years and be fined in the amount of not
less than FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (PS0,000.00) but not more
than ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P100,000.00). If the
violation was committed by a doctor or a newly licensed medicine
graduate of a state university or public colleges, in addition to the


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foregoing penalties, his medical license shall be revoked by the
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

SECTION 9. RULES AND REGULATIONS. Unless otherwise
provided in this Act, the PRC shall promulgate rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. Such rules
and regulations shall take effect upon their publication in three (3)
newspapers of general circulation.

SECTION 10. REPEALING CLAUSE. All laws, presidential
decrees, letters of instructions, executive orders, rules and
regulations insofar as they are inconsistent with this Act, are
hereby repealed or amended as the case may be.

SECTION 11. SEPERABILITY CLAUSE. In the event that
any provision of this Act or any portion thereof is declared
unconstitutional by a competent court, the other provisions shall
not be affected thereby and shall remain valid and enforceable.

SECTION 12. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE. This Act shall take
effect after its complete publication in at least three (3) newspapers
of general circulation.

APPROVED.