FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
7 JUN 30 i> 4 .! 2 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill mandates the inclusion of day care workers among public health 
workers who have certain rights and privileges under the law. 
Republic Act No. 7305 or the "Magna Carta of Public Health Workers" is the law 
governing the rights and privileges of public health workers in the country, Under the 
said law, public health workers are defined as all persons who are engaged in health 
and health-related work, and all persons employed in all hospitals, sanitaria, health 
centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, clinics and okher health-related 
establishments owned and operated by the Government or its political subdivisions 
with original charters and shall include allied health professional, administrative and 
support personnel employed regardless of their employment status. 
This law does not include day care workers whose positions are created under 
Republic Act No. 6972 or An Act Establishing a Day Care Center in Every earangay, 
Instituting Therein a Total Development and Protection of Children Program, 
Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes. Said law provides that 
barangay day care workers in accredited day care centers shall receive a monthly 
allowance of not less than five Hundred Pesos (P500.00) to be charged to the annual 
appropriations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Since the 
decentralization of basic health and social services in 1990, the local government unit is 
directly responsible for the management and operation of day-care centers and the 
compensation of day care workers. 
As of 2000, there were 32,787 day-care centers in 41,943 barangays all over the 
country. This is an improvement from year 1998 when 26.7 per cent of the barangays 
did not have day care centers. Day care workers are not only confined in taking care of 
their wards. They likewise assist the Department of Social Welfare and Development 
(DSWD) during calamities and facilitate the referral of cases of child abuse to the 
Department. The compenshtion provided for by law is no longer commensurate to the 
tasks they perform and the responsibilities they hold. 
This bill addresses that need by amending Sections 3 and 22 of Republic Act No. 
7305 to include day care workers under the enumeration on who are public health 
workers. This would effectively address the meager allowance presently received by 
day care workers and give them the recognition that has long been due them. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENAT2 9 1 
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S.B. NO. 2- 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
TO UPHOLD THE RIGHTS AND PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF DAY CARE 
WORKERS BY CONSIDERING THEM PART OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7305 OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 3 or Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the "Magna 
Carya of Public Health Workers", are hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 3. Definition. - For purposes of this Act, "health zoorkers" shall mean all 
persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons 
employed in all hospitals, sanitaria, health infirmaries, health centers, rural 
health units, barangay health stations, DAY CARE CENTERS, clinics and other 
health-related establishments owned and operated by the Government or its 
political subdivisions with original charters and shall include medical, allied 
health professional, administrative and support personnel employed regardless 
of their employment status. 
SECTION 2. Section 22 of Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the "Magna 
Carya of Public Health Workers", are hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 22. Subsistence Allowance. - Public health workers who are required to 
render service within the premises of hospitals, sanitaria, health infirmaries, 
main health centers, rural health units and barangay health stations, DAY 
CARE CENTERS or clinics, and other health-related establishments in order to 
make their services available at any and all times, shall be entitled to full 
subsistence allowance of three (3) meals which may be computed in accordance 
with prevailing circumstances as determined by the Secretary of Health in 
consultation with the Management Health Workers' Consultative Councils, as 
established under Section 33 of this Act: Provided, That representqtion and 
trwel allowance shall be given to rural health physicians as enjoyed by 
municipal agriculturists, municipal planning and development officers and 
budget officers. 
SEC. 3. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the 
remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
effect. 


SEC. 4. Repeuling Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and their 
implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed, 
amended or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at 
least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.