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

SEVENTEENTH (17th) CONGRES:
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 6361

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Recent data show that there are only about 70,000 doctors for nearly
100 million Filipinos,. It is even worst in those rural areas where there are
just about three (3) public doctors for every 100,000 population. For
instance, in a third class municipality of Busuanga, Palawan there is only
one doctor to provide health care for its 20,000 population. One doctor
should attend to only 1,000 patients which is the global standard.

The obstacles faced by health care providers in the rural areas are
vastly different from those in urban areas. Economic factors, cultural and
social difference, educational shortcomings and the sheer isolation of living
in remote rural areas all conspire to impede the people in their struggle to
lead a normal, healthy life.

Due to this rural and urban differences, the tendency among our
medical doctors are to opt for the urban areas rather than in the rural areas
causing a maldistribution of medical practitioners. Hospitals and medical
facilities in rural areas especially in the Visayas and Mindanao face crises
and event imminent closure because of lack of medical doctors.

Another factor in the shortage of medical doctors in the rural areas is
because of the migration of health professional to other professions; the high
cost of medical studies that is beyond the reach of most Filipino families; the
urban migration or the transfer of most doctors to urban areas where
technology and money are present; and the exodus of doctors to other
countries for better pay or for further training or experience.

This bill provides a solution to address our medical manpower crisis
through a state-sponsored scholarship program for those qualified students
to become doctors. This bill also seeks to achieve the presence of at least
one (1) doctor per town to be able to provide dependable health care services
to all Filipinos especially those living in rural areas, which will eventually
help strengthen the public health care system of the country.



The Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the Commission
on Higher Education shall be mandated to initiate and implement this
program which shall be open to all qualified natural-born citizens and
belonging to the top 30% of their graduating class but financially incapable
to pursue their medical studies.

The passage of this bill will provide an institutional mechanism for the
envisioned sustained human resource development for the public health
care system. Providing a scholarship program for medical students is an
opportunity for them to achieve their dream to become a doctor. Upon
passing the medical board examination, the medical scholar will be required
to serve for at least five (5) years in a general or regional medical center and
shall be given the appropriate rank and salary. They shall also be deployed
in municipalities outside Metro Manila to achieve the objective of this
proposal

Hence, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

be ry

ERIC OLIVAREZ


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

SEVENTEENTH (17') CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No, 6361

esse

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

AN ACT PROVIDING MEDICAL DOCTOR SCHOLARSHIPS TO QUALIFIED
STUDENTS IN ALL MUNICIPALITIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSE

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
Doctor Scholarship Act of 2017"

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared as the policy
of the State to provide priority measures that can help reduce social and
economic inequalities. It is also the policy of nthe State to undertake health
manpower development responsive to the country’s health service needs.

For this purpose, the government shall institutionalize scholarship
programs to deserving and qualified individuals that will establish access for
them to pursue education and train in the field of medicine, and shall
formulate and implement such policies and programs to systematically
integrate these individuals, upon qualifying as doctors of medicine, into the
public health care system.

Section 3. Medical Doctor Scholarship Program. - The Department of
Health (DOH) in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) shall establish Medical Doctor Scholarship Program that will grant
scholarship and financial assistance to qualified Filipinos who want to
pursue a degree in Doctor of Medicine. The scholarship shall cover
expenses for, among others, tuition, laboratory and miscellaneous fees, and
other related school fees; required textbooks, supplies and equipment;


clothing and uniform allowances; travelling expenses and subsistence and
living allowances. The program shall endeavor to provide scholarships to
interested and deserving students in order to achieve the goal as provided in
Section 6 hereof.

Section 4. Qualifications of Candidates. - All qualified scholars shall
possess the following qualifications:

a. Must belong to the top thirty per centum (30%) of their respective
graduating classes and must be completing or already completed
any of the undergraduate prerequisite courses for a doctoral degree
in medicine;

b. Family and personal incomes are not sufficient to finance their
education in the field of medicine;

c. Must be a registered resident of the municipality where he/she
intend to serve upon graduation and passing the medical board
examination; and,

d. The University concerned may determine such other qualifications
as it deems necessary for the admission of the students.

Section 5. Conditions of the Scholarship Grant. - The Medical Doctor
Scholarship Program shall have the following conditionalities:

a. The scholar shall pass the admission examinations and related
requirements of the medical school that the scholar plans to enroll
in;

b. The scholar shall carry the full load of subjects prescribed per
semester by the medical school, and shall, under no circumstance,
drop a course which will result in under-loading;

c. The scholar may be allowed, for valid reasons preventing his
enrolment, to defer availing of the scholarship and file a leave of
absence for a period not exceeding one (1) school year;

d. The scholar shall receive and continue to enjoy the benefits of the
scholarship until the completion of the course;

e. The scholar upon passing the medical board examination shall
serve a mandatory public health service in his/her municipality or
to a municipality where the DOH deemed necessary for at least five
(5) years.

Section 6. Public Health Service System. - the scholar shall be
integrated into the public health and medical service as a medical doctor,
with the appropriate rank and salary upon passing the medical board
examination. The service and integration to the public service will be for a
period of at least five (5) years upon graduation: Provided, That the scholar
shall undertake post graduate internship in a public health or medical
institution and such internship with salaries allocated shall be part of the
mandatory service and integration into the public health and medical service
system: Provided, further, That upon graduation, the doctor shall be


deployed in municipalities outside of Metro Manila to achieve the target of
having at least one doctor per municipality.

Section 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to effectively
carry out the initial implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the
Current budget of the DOH. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for
the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the succeeding
General Appropriations Act.

Section 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90)
days after the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health (DOH), the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Budget
and Management (DBM) shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the proper implementation of this Act.

Section 9. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision of
this Act or any part thereof shall be held unconstitutional and invalid, the
other parts or provisions of this Act, which are nnot affected thereby, shall
remain in full force and effect.

Section 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, resolutions, orders
or ordinances or parts thereof inconsistent witht this Act, are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Section 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation or in
the Official Gazette.

Approved,