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

NINETEENTHCONGRESS
First Regular Session

3445

House Bill No.

Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Our medical doctors are no doubt among the selfless heroes who have
been fighting our nation’s battle against the Covid-19 Pandemic since
the early part of the year 2020. Since May of the aforementioned year,
doctors accounted for 2 out of 5 deaths among health workers infected
with COVID-19 in the Philippines. At least 1,761 physicians tested
positive for the disease as of October 3. This means that the case
fatality rate for doctors was at 1.48%, which is the highest among the
health workers who contracted covid-19.

Indeed, doctors who treat covid-19 patients are highly at risk not only
of contracting the virus but also of suffering demise therefrom. While
there is not much study or discussion on the direct link or causation
between the profession and the higher risk of death, it cannot be
denied that the job entailed by the profession does require close
proximity -and more often than not - direct contact with the patient,
whether for Covid-19 or other non-covid-19 diseases that need to be
atrended to in the midst of the pandemic.

As a way to repay the heroic efforts of our medical doctors, this bill
proposes a little incentive in the form of extending the validity of their
medical licenses from three years to five years to somehow minimize
their costs and allow them to practice their profession for a longer but
still reasonable period of time.



This bill anchors its objective in the belief that extending the validity
of the licenses of medical doctors for another two years will not in any
way diminish their competence or knowledge with regard to the
practice of their profession. After all, the Continuing Professional
Development Program as mandated by Republic Act 10912 still
stands, with the structure, units, and other related concerns being
subject to adjustment by the Professional Regulatory Board of
Medicine in consultation with the Professional Regulatory
Commission and other relevant authorities in the event that this bill

passed.

EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ


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

NINETEENTHCONGRESS
First Regular Session

- ,
House Bill No3 aa

Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ

AN ACT
EXTENDING THE VALIDITY OF LICENSES OF MEDICAL
DOCTORS FROM THREE YEARS TO FIVE YEARS

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 “Medical
Doctors’ Five-Year License Validity Act”.

Sec. 2. Coverage. This Act shall cover all licensed Medical Doctors
and passers of the Medicine Board Examinations who are about to
obtain their certificates of registration otherwise known as
professional licenses from the Professional Regulatory Commission
(PRC).

Sec. 3. Extension of Validity of Licenses. The validity of the
certificate of registration otherwise known as license to be issued
by the PRC to recent passers of the Medicine Board Examinations
shall be extended from three (3) years to five (5) years.

Sec. 4. Validity of Licenses issued before the Enactment of this Act.
Licenses issued to medical doctors before the enactment of this Act
shall follow the existing three-year validity and application for
renewal thereof shall be done before the expiration of the said


three-year period. Thereafter, the five-year validity of their licenses
shall start to apply.

Sec. 5. Continuing Professional Development. The Continuing
Professional Development Program as mandated by Republic Act
10912 may be adjusted with respect to the medical profession by
the Professional Regulatory Board of Medicine in consultation with
the Professional Regulatory Commission and other relevant
authorities Accredited Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO)
and Accredited Professional Organization (APO), in line with the
extension of the validity of the licenses for medical doctors.

Sec. 6. Separability Clause. If any part or provision of this Act is
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts thereof not
affected thereby shall remain valid.

Sec. 7. Repealing Clause. All laws, acts presidential decrees,
executive orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations
inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are
deemed amended, modified or repealed accordingly.

Sec. 8. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or at least in
two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

APPROVED.