EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS. )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Second Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez

House Bill No. 7267
EXPLANATORY NOTE

After the 9/11 attacks in the US, President George W. Bush called for the establishment of
the USA Freedom Corps. The USA Freedom Corps is a coordinating entity in the White House
charged with promoting a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in America. It
promotes and expands volunteer service in America by supporting Federal service programs
serving as a resource for non-profits, recognizing volunteers, and helping to connect
individuals with volunteer organizations in their communities.

‘The Medical Reserve Corps was created as an extension of the Freedom Corps. The Medical
Reserve Corps (MRC) is a network in the U.S. of community-based units initiated and
established by local organizations to meet the public health needs of their communities. It
consists of medical and non-medical volunteers who contribute to local health initiatives, such
as activities meeting the Surgeon General's priorities for public health, and supplement
existing response capabilities in time of emergency. The MRC provides the structure
necessary to pre-identify, credential, train, and activate medical and public health volunteers.

In the Philippines, the importance of an MRC was realized during the COVID-19 pandemic
wherein we saw that we lack medical personnel leaving our hospital front liners thoroughly
‘overwhelmed and exhausted.

This bill proposes to establish a Medical Reserve Corps which shall be composed of all
persons who have degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other
health-related fields but have yet to have their respective licenses to practice. A medical
reserve force specifically trained to supplement the existing human health resources will ease
the burden in our healthcare system.

The Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon and mobilized during national health
emergencies to assist the national government and the local government units in their
functions related to addressing medical needs. This measure allows our hospitals and medical
facilities to handle the extreme demand for patient care in times of disaster and health
emergencies.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly requested.

RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Second Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez

House Bill No, _7267

AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS, 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 Reserve Corps Act’

Sec. 2. Statement of Policy. — It shall be the policy of the State:

a. To institutionalize the vital role of medical and health-related personnel in nation-building,
promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being; to
inculcate in them patriotism and nationalism; and to encourage their involvement in public and
civic affairs; and

b. To train, equip and organize medical and health-related personnel, within the current
frameworks of national and territorial defense, law enforcement and peace and order and
national disaster risk reduction and management, to prepare them for rapid mobilization at the
soonest possible time in order to address national and/or local contingencies which may
require manpower beyond the capabilities of existing national goverment agencies or local
government units.

Sec. 3. Medical Reserve Corps. — There is hereby established a Medical Reserve Corps
which shall be composed of all persons who have degrees in the field of ‘medicine, nursing,
medical technology, and other health-related fields but have yet to have their respective
licenses to practice for reasons such as but not limited to not having taken and/or passed the
licensure examinations in their respective professions.

Sec. 4. Medical Reserve Corps Mobilization. -- In times of national emergencies and other
contingencies, the members of the Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon and mobilized
to assist the national govemment, its agencies and instrumentalities, and the local
government in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of the public.

The mobilization shall be initiated by the Secretary of Department of Health (DOH), in
coordination with the Secretaries of the Department of National Defense (OND), the
Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), or their duly authorized representatives with a rank of at least Undersecretary.

From time to time as manpower and training resources may allow during the period of
national emergencies and other contingencies, the Medical Reserve Corps may be called for
retraining to maintain and enhance its level of competency and readiness for mobilization.

Sec. 5. Annual Reports. — The DOH shall regularly publish an annual report containing a
list of its accomplishment, status of its operations, number and demography of tie Medical
Reserve Corps, assessment of readiness for mobilization and the incidence and details of
each mobilization for the year concerned. The annual report shail also include the results of


the audit investigation on the spending of funds appropriated, collected or advanced for the
implementation of the provisions of this Act.

Sec. 6, Request for Deployment, — The Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon and
mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and the local
government units in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of the public
through requests for deployment by the heads of such national government agencies or local
government unit submitted to the DOH. The requests shall contain a justification for the
deployment of the Corps and shall contain information as may be required by the DOH,
including the nature of the national or local contingencies to be addressed, the purpose of the
requested deployment, tie number of personnel requested to be deployed and the period of
deployment.

Sec. 7. Evaluation of the Request for Deployment — The DOH shall evaluate the requests
for deployment. When the number of personnel requested does not exceed one hundred and
fifty (150) and the period of deployment does not exceed sixty (60) days, the DOH shall decide
whether to approve or disapprove the request within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt
‘of. When the number of personnel requested exceeds one hundred and fifty (150) or the
period of deployment exceeds sixty (60) days, the DOH shall make a recommendation to the
Office of the President (OP) within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the request. The OP
shall decide whether to approve or disapprove the request within twenty-four (24) hours from
receipt of the recommendation of the DOH

In case of the approval of the request for deployment, the DOH shall issue an Order
of Deployment requiring the Corps, or a number thereof, to assist the national government, its
agencies and instrumentalities and the local government units in their functions related to
addressing the health-related needs of the public.

Sec. 8. Deployment in Case of a Declaration of a State of War, State of Lawless Violence
or State of Calamity; Nationwide Mobilization. — In case of a declaration of a state of war,
state of lawless violence or state of calamity, the DOH may motu proprio recommend the
mobilization of the Corps to the President of the Philippines. The President of the Philippines,
by himself, shall also have the power to order the mobilization of the Corps to respond to
national or local contingencies related to external and territorial defense, internal security and
peace and order and/or disaster risk reduction management.

Sec. 9. Mobilization Centers — There shall be established in each province and city as many
mobilization centers as needed according to the number and geographical distribution of the
Corps, where they will report in case of deployment.

In case of mobilization, the equipment of the Corps shall be supplied in close
coordination with the DOH and other national agencies and offices, with the end in view of
achieving rapid mobilization.

Sec. 10. Expenses of Deployment. — Upon deployment, the national goverment agency
or the local government unit to which the Corps is deployed shall shoulder the operational
expenses of deployment.

Sec. 11. Operationalization of Deployment. — The DOH shall promulgate the specific
mechanisms by which deployment is efficiently implemented, including the organization of the
Corps to be deployed, their territorial assignments, how deployment orders are communicated
to each member of the Corps and to which mobilization center they will report.

Sec. 12. Serial Numbers and Registry. — Upon completion of their respective degrees, the
graduates shall be issued individual serial numbers, which will serve as their identification in
case of deployment


The DOH shall maintain and update a registry/database containing the names of the
members of the Corps, their serial numbers, address, contact details and such other
information as the DOH may determine, in accordance with any applicable privacy laws. For
this purpose, all public and private colleges, universities and learning institutions are hereby
mandated to annually transmit their records of the graduates covered under this Act to the
DOK, in the form as may be determined by the DOH

All graduates covered under this Act are required to update their addresses and
contact details on file with the DOH as often as necessary. Orders of deployment sent to the
addresses and/or through the contact details on file with the DOH shall be sufficient notice for
purposes of deployment.

Sec. 13. Termination of Deployment. — Upon the expiration of the requested period of
deployment, without an extension having been requested and approved by the DOH, the
Corps shall be discharged of its duties. The deployment may also be terminated earlier upon
a determination by the DOH, in consultation with the requesting national govemment agency
or local government unit, that such deployment is no longer in accordance with the objectives
and purposes of this Act.

Sec. 14. Effect on Employment — Deployment of employees in accordance with the
provisions of this Act shall not be a ground for dismissal or diminution of any benefit enjoyed
by such graduates prior to their deployment. The members of the Corps shall be entitled to
their regular wage or salary during the period of their deployment.

Sec. 15. Medical Reserve Corps Fund. — A Medical Reserve Corps Fund is hereby
established exclusively for the implementation of the objectives and purposes of this Act. The
Office of the President shall monitor and evaluate the activities and the balances of the Fund.

Sec. 16. Schoo! Fees. — Public colleges, universities and similar learning institutions covered
by Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary
Education Act, shall not collect any fee from the members of the Medical Reserve Corps in
addition to the normal fees and charges pertinent to their education and training in said
colleges, universities and other similar institutions

Sec. 17. Appropriations. — The Medical Reserve Corps Fund shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 18. Audit of Funds. — Audit of any and all funds used through the implementation of
this Act shall be in accordance with the audit jurisdiction of the Commission on Audit, the
Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Department of Health, under existing laws and
regulations

Sec. 19. Penal Provisions; Failure to Respond. - Failure to respond to the order of
deployment despite notice sent to the address and/or contact details on file with the DOH
without any justifiable reason shall, upon conviction by a civil court, be punishable as follows:

1. First Offense: One hundred and twenty (120) hours of community service;

2. Second Offense: Two hundred and forty (240) hours of community service; and

3. Third and Subsequent Offenses: Three Hundred and sixty (360) hours of community service
per failure to respond.

Sec. 20. Disciplinary and Corrective Proceedings. — Administrative offenses committed
by persons involved in or in relation to the implementation of this Act, shall be subject to
administrative penalties in accordance with the applicable civil service rules or the rules and
regulations of the Professional Regulation Commission, as the case may be.


Sec. 21. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). — The DOH shall be tasked to
formulate and approve the necessary rules and regulations to implement the objectives and
purposes of this Act within thirty (0) days from its effectivity. The rules and regulations shall
include provisions on the structure and organization of the Corps, the specific mechanisms
for the efficient mobilization and deployment of the Corps, and such other matters as the DOH
may deem necessary or essential to fully implement the objectives and purposes of this Act.

Sec. 22. Repealing Clause. — All laws, orders, rules regulations and other issuances, or parts
thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly

Sec. 23. Separability Clause. — Any provision of this Act declared unconstitutional shall not
affect the validity of the other provisions thereof.

Sec. 24. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in two (2) newspapers of national circulation.

Approved,