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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5184

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by
BAYAN MUNA Representatives FERDINAND R. GAITE,
CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE and EUFEMIA C. CULLAMAT.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MAGNA CARTA OF PRIVATE HEALTH WORKERS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The recent outbreak of poliovirus and measles and dengue epidemic reflect the deeply-rooted
problems in the health care delivery system. Despite the much-touted lower inflation rates and
gross domestic product growth, majority of the people remain poor and the people’s health remain
in « dismal state. Budget cuts and long-time government neglect have resulted to and aggravated
lth crisis.

s the frontliners in health service provision play a crucial role in confronting the

health crisis. However, Filipio health workers themselves face a crisis among their ranks.

For decades health workers in the Philippines are overworked, underpaid, and deprived of job
security and union rights. Salaries of most health workers are way below the daily minimum cost
of living pegyed at P1,205/day or P36,150 per month for a family of six in the National Capital
Region according to IBON Databank.

Contractualization afflicts the health sector. The DOH is among the government agencies with
the most number of contractuals. Private hospitals and facilities likewise employ many contactual
health worker
In 2016, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), out of the 137,173 workers in the
private health and social work activities industries that have 20 or more workers, 19,501 were non-
regular’,

Of these non-regular workers, 11,188 or 57.3 percent are probationary status, while casual workers
and contractual workers made up about 20 percent of the employees in the non-regular category
numbering 3,962 and 3,707, respectively. The remaining 3 percent of those employed in the said
category are seasonal workers or apprentices.

Not surprisingly, more and more nurses and health workers are leaving the country to seek better
paying jobs abroad, or seek other work not related to patient care.

While the country supplies nurses and doctors to other countries, Filipino communities and health
facilities face inadequate positions for permanent nurses. Some hospital administrators admitted
that some of their wards and services are not operational due to lack of health workers especially

serph.com/specialreport-why-the-philippine-healthcare-system-model-is-flawed/

* bupsi/émedic;

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aurses.
In 2014, according to then Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona, 70% of Filipino health
professionals work in the private sector. Only 30% of health workers are employed by the
government to address the health needs of the majority of Filipinos.*

Despite the fact hat health workers in public and private facilities perform the same tasks and face
the same risks in providing health services and saving the lives of Filipino patients, disparities exist
with regards to wages, salaries, benefits, and others.

For instance, while a Nurse 1 in a public hospital earns P20,754 per month, their counterpart in a
private hospital earns as low as P6,000 or P9,000 per month, which is even less than the P537/day
minimum wage in the National Capital Region or P11,814/month.

Health workers in the private health facilties are not covered by the Republic Act No. 7305 or the
Magna Carta of Public Health Workers enacted in 1992, hence do not receive benefits like hazard
pay, subsistence allowance, laundry allowance, and longevity pay, among others.

In the face of the public health crisis, there is a need to to address the concems of the Filipino
nealth workers.

‘This bill aims to provide for the rights, welfare and benefits of private health workers to encourage
them to stay in the country and serve the Filipino people. Moreover, the bill aims to reduce, if not
Uliminate the disparities between the health workers in the public and private sector under the
principle of equality and non-discrimination.

In this light, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

Ajproved,
“FERDIN! GAITE
Bayan Muna Parbylist
be se\ BS :
REP. CARLOS saw T. ZARATE REP. EUFEMIA C. CULLAMAT
Bayan Muna Partylist Bayan Muna Partyist

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. eet

Introduced by
BAYAN MUNA Representatives FERDINAND R. GAITE,
CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE and EUFEMIA C. CULLAMAT

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MAGNA CARTA OF PRIVATE HEALTH WORKERS
Be it enactad by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines im Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "Magna Carta of Private Health Workers.”
SECTION. 2. Declaration of the Policy. The State shall ensure the protection and welfare of

services such as, but not limited to, health promotion, disease prevention, health diagnosis,
treatment, curative, rehabilitative, palliative and hospice care. Towards this end, this Act aims:

(@) to promote and improve the social and economic well-being of the health workers, their
living and working conditions and terms of employment; and

(b) to develop their skills and capabilities in order that they will be more responsive and better
equipped to deliver health goods, services and programs.

SECTION 5. Definition. For purposes of this Act, "health workers" shall mean all persons who
‘are engaged in health and health-related work, which shall include, but not limited to, health and
para-health professionals, allied health personnel, administrative and support personnel employed
in private health care institutions regardless of their employment status.

SECTION 4. Recruitment and Qualification. Recruitment policy and minimum requirements
with respect to the selection and appointment of a private health worker shall be developed and
implemented by the concemed employer in accordance with policies and standards of the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE): Provided, That in the absence of appropriate
ibles and it becomes necessary for the public interest to fill a vacancy, a probationary period
for three months shall be issued to the person who meets the partial requirements for the position
to which he/she is being appointed.

SECTION 5. Performance Evaluation and Merit Promotion. ‘The Secretary of Labor,
through a tri-partite mechanism, shall prepare a uniform career and personnel development plan
ble to all private health personnel. Such career and personnel development plan shall
provisions on merit promotion, performance evaluation, in-service training grants, job

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he performance evaluation plan shall consider foremost the improvement of individual employee
efficiency and organizational effectiveness: Provided, that each employee shall be informed
regularly by his/her supervisor of his/her performance evaluation.

‘The merit promotion plan shall be in consonance with the rules of the Department of Labor and
Employment.

SECTION 6. ‘Transfer or Geographical Reassignment of Private Health Workers.

(a) a transfer is a movement from one position to another which is of equivalent rank, level or
salary without break in service;

(©) a geographical reassignment, hereinafter referred to as "reassignment," isa movement from
one geographical location to another; and

(©) aprivate health worker shall not be transferred and or reassigned, except when made in the
intecest of public service, in which case, the employee concerned shall be informed of the reasons
therefore in writing. If the private health worker believes that there is no justification for the
teansfer and/or reassignment, he/she may appeal his/her case to the Department of Labor and
Employment, which shall cause his/her reassignment to be held in abeyance; Provided, That no
wuusfer and/or reassignment whatsoever shall be made three (3) months before any local or
national elections: Provided, further, That the necessary expenses of the transfer and/or
reassignment of the private health worker and his/her immediate family shall be paid for by the
Employer.

SECTION 7. Married Health Workers. Whenever possible, the proper authorities shall take
steps to cnable married couples, both of whom are private health workers, to be employed or
sssigned in the same unit/section /department/division.

SECTION 8. Right to Security of Tenure. All private health workers shall enjoy security of
cuure in their employment as provided by law. ‘Their services can only be terminated for just or
authorized causes pursuant to the provisions of the Labor Code, as renumbered and subject to the
requirements of due process: Provided, That if a private health worker is found by the Department
of Labor and Employment to be unjustly dismissed from work, he/she shall be entitled to
reinstatement without loss of seniority rights and to his /her back wages with twelve percent (12%)
interest computed from the time his/her compensation was withheld from his/her up to time of
reinstatement. In addition, all legal expenses incurred during the arbitration process shall be paid
for by the Employer.

SECTION 9. Prohibition of Contractualization. All forms of contractualization and fixed term
employment are hereby prohibited. Job contracting, or the contracting out of a work by the
employer to a contractor, manpower agency or a similar analogous entity, is hereby prohibited.

Direct-hiring of contractual health workers is also hereby prohibited. When the employer contracts
or subcontracts the performance of a work that is necessary or desirable to the hospital or health
facility, the worker or workers supplied by a third person or party under this paragraph shall be
considered regular employees or employees of the principal employer.

Project-based employees are considered regular employees for the duration of the project. For this
purpose, project-based employment refers to employment in an existing project or undertaking,
the nature of which is temporary and the completion or termination has been determined and
made known to the employee at the time of the engagement.

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SECTION 10. Protection Against Discrimination. A private health worker shall not be
discriminated against with regard to age, gender, gender preference, civil status, qualified person
with disability, creed, religious or political beliefs and ethnic groupings in the exercise of his/her
profession,

SECTION 11. No Understaffing/Work Overloading of Health Staff. There shall be no
understating or work overloading of private health workers. The ratio of health staff to patient
load shall be based on the standards set by the Department of Health, at the minimum, or based
on the health worker-patient ratio resulting from the consultations and negotiations with the
health workers’ union /organization. Such ratio shall effect a sustained delivery of quality health
care at all times without overworking the private health worker and over extending his /her duty
and setvice. Health students, trainees and apprentices shall be allowed only for purposes of
training, aud education and shall not be allowed to perform the tasks of regular health workers.

SECTION 12. Administrative Charges. Administrative charges against a private health worker
shall be heard by a committee composed of the Ethics and/or Grievance Committee, union
representative where the private health worker belongs, a representative of any existing employees’
association of union and/or representative of a national or provincial health workers’ organization.
“The committee shall submit its findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Labor within
thirty (30) days fcom the termination of the hearings.

SECTION 13. Safeguards in Disciplinary Procedures. In every disciplinary proceeding,
provisions under the labor code for due process must be observed, the private health workers shall

have:

(a) the right to a swift resolution of the case; no health worker must be suspended or dismissed
while investigation is ongoing;

(b) the right to be informed, in writing, of the charges;
(6) the right to full access to the evidence in the case;

(@ the right to defend himself/herself and to be defended by a representative of his/her choice
and/or by his/her organization, adequate time being given to the private health worker for the
ation of his/her defense;

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(6) the right to confront witnesses presented against him /her and summon witnesses in his/her
behalf;

(f) the right to appeal to designated authorities;

(@ the right to reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in his/her defense in case of
exoneration or dismissal of the charges; and

(h) such other rights that as will ensure fairness and impartiality during proceedings.
SECTION 14. Duties and Obligations. ‘The private health workers shall:

(@) discharge his/her duty humanely with conscience and dignity according to his/her
mandated scope of work;

(0) perform his/her duty with utmost respect for life, race, gender, persons with disability,
religion, nationality, party policies, social standing or capacity to pay.

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ION 15. Code of Conduct. Within six (6) months from the approval of this Act, the
of Labor, upon consultation with other appropriate agencies, professional and health
workers? organization, accredited/registered employees association or union shall formulate and
prepare a Code of Conduct for Private Health Workers, which shall be disseminated as widely as

possible.

SECTION 16. Hours of Work. ‘The normal hours of work of private health worker shall not
exceed eight (8) hours a day or forty (40) hours a week but paid seven (7) days a week or a total of
56 hours a week as per Republic Act 5901. Hours worked shall include:

a) alll the time during which a private health worker is required to be on active duty or to be
ata prescribed workplaces

(b) all waiting time such as endorsement period spent by health personnel where she/he is
required or engaged by the employer to wait; and

(©) all the time during which a private health worker is suffered or permitted to work.
Provided, that the time when the private health worker is placed on "On Call" status shall not be
considered as hours worked but shall entitle the private health worker to an "On Call" pay
equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of his/her regular wage. "On Call" status refers to a
condition when private health workers are called upon to respond to urgent or immediate need
for health/medical assistance or relief work during emergencies such that he/she cannot devote
the time for his/her own purpose.

SECTION 17. Overtime Work. Where the exigencies of the service so require (such as force
majeure, national threat of loss of life), any private health worker may be required to render, service
beyond the normal eight (8) hours a day. In such a case, the workers shall be paid an additional
compensation in accordance with existing laws and prevailing practices.

SECTION 18. Work During Rest Day.

(a) Where a private health worker is made to work on his/her schedule rest day, he/she shall
be paid an additional compensation in accordance with existing laws; and

() Where a private health worker is made to work on any special holiday he/she shall be paid
ui) additional compensation in accordance with existing laws. Where such holiday work falls on
the workers’ scheduled rest day, he/she shall be entitled to an additional compensation as may be
provided by existing laws.

SECTION 19. Minimum Wages and Benefits. Private health workers are entitled to not less
than the following wages and benefits:

(@) Wages for all actual work hours and days shall not be lower than P30,000.00 entry salary
for nurses and P750.00 per day for other health workers multiplied by 30 days for a monthly salary.
hall be paid at least once every two weeks or twice a month at intervals not exceeding

Wage

sixteen (16) days.

(b) Holiday pay for all legally declared regular holidays. Health workers shall be paid holiday
pay of hundred percent (100%) of the minimum wage even if she/he did not report for work.

If the health worker is required to work on said holiday, she/he shall be paid two hundred percent
(200%) of the minimum wage.

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() Premium pay for work on Special Days of thirty percent (30%) of their basic wage.
(@) Night shift pay of an additional fifteen percent (15%) of the basic wage for work between
10:00 pm and 6:00 am of the following day.

(Hazard pay equivalent to at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the monthly minimum wage
of private health workers.

() Paid longevity pay of five (5) days for every year of service. Unused leave can be monetized.

(@) 13th month pay pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 851, as amended, which entitles the
employee to receive, not later than 24 December, equivalent to one-twelfth (1/12) of the total
yy earned within the calendar year.

basic

(h) Paid maternity leave of 105 days for normal delivery or for caesarian section delivery,
including miscatriage or emergency termination of pregnancy, regardless of civil status and
legitimacy of the child pursuant to Republic Act No. 11210, otherwise known as ‘“105-Day
Expanded Maternity Leave Law” approved February 20, 2019. The solo parent health worker
shall be granted an additional fifteen (15) days maternity leave with full pay pursuant to the “Solo
Parents Welfare Act”.

() Paid paternity leave of seven (7) days, pursuant to Republic Act No. 8187, otherwise
known as the Paternity Leave Act of 1996. In addition, any female health worker is entitled to
allocate up to seven (7) days of her maternity leave to the child’s father pursuant to Republic Act
No. 11210, including cases where the female health worker had miscarriage or emergency
termination of pregnancy,
() Paid parental leave of seven (7) days for solo parents pursuant to Republic Act No. 8972,
otherwise known as the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000.
(k) Paid leave of ten (10) days for victims of violence against women and their children,
pursuant to Republic Act No. 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and
‘Their Children Act of 2004.
() Paid special leave of up to sixty (60) days for women for surgery caused by gynecological
disorders, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women.
(mm) Paid emergency leave of up to 15 days for emergency conditions such as in times of disaster
or calamities.
(8) Separation pay if the termination is due to any of the authorized causes under Articles 298-
299 of the Labor Code, as renumbered. Any private health worker who has voluntarily resigned
from employment after rendering five (5) years of continuous service shall be also entitled to
eparation pay

(0) Retirement benefits for employees reaching the age of sixty (60) or more but not beyond
sixty-five (65) years old, pursuant to the Labor Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 7641.

(p) Paid bereavement leave of up to 15 days for death of immediate family members.

(@ Allother benefits such as sick leave and vacation leave as provided under existing labor laws
ind regulations.

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Lhe foregoing minimum benefits shall be without prejudice to any company policy, contract, or
Collective Bargaining Agreement providing for better terms and conditions of employment.

SECTION 20. Additional Compensation. Private health workers shall receive the following.
additional allowances: subsistence allowance and laundry allowance.

(@) Subsistence Allowance. - Private health workers who are required to render service within
the premises of hospitals, sanitaria, health infirmaries, primary or community health facilities and
other health-related establishments owned and operated by the private sector 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
ary of Labor in consultation with the employees associations /unions organizations.
allowance shall be indexed to inflation and subjected to review and adjustment every
three (3) years.

(0) Uniform/clothing allowance for all private health workers regardless of status of
employment equivalent to five (5) sets of uniform per employee/year.

(©) Laundry Allowance. - All private health workers who are required to wear uniforms
regularly shall be entitled to laundry allowance equivalent to five hundred pesos (P500.00) per
month: Provided, that this rate shall be reviewed periodically and increased accordingly by the
Secretary of Labor in consultation with the appropriate government agencies concerned taking
ting laws and prevailing practices.

into account e:

(@ Remote assignment allowance - Doctors, dentists, nurses, and midwives who accept
assignments as such in remote areas or isolated stations, which for reasons of distance or hard
accessibility such positions had not been filled for the last two (2) years prior to the approval of
this Act, shall be entitled to an incentive bonus in the form of remote assignment allowance
equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of their basic pay, and shall be entitled to
reimbursement of the cost of reasonable transportation to and from and during official trips.

SECTION 21, Housing. All private health workers who are in tour of duty and those who,
because of unavoidable circumstances are forced to stay in the hospital, sanitaria or health
infirmary premises, shall be entitled to free living quarters or free dormitories within the hospital,
sanitariuim or health infirmary or if such quarters are not available, shall receive quarters allowance
as may be determined by the Secretary of Labor and other appropriate government agencies
concerned: Provided, That this rate shall be reviewed periodically and increased accordingly by the
retary of Labor in consultation with the appropriate government agencies concerned.

SECTION 22. Occupational Safety and Health, Occupational Safety and Health of private
health workers shall be ensured by the employer by adopting, implementing and promoting
‘occupational safety and health programs consistent with the provisions of the Occupational Safety
and Health Standards (OSHS) and other related laws and issuances, to include prevention and
control of tuberculosis, HIV AIDS, Hepatitis B, workplace bullying and drug use in the workplace.
The employer shall likewise promote and implement policies and programs on anti-smoking, anti-
sexual harassment and disaster and climate risk management. ‘These Occupational Safety and
Health programs shall cover all health personnel regardless of the status of employment.

(a) Health and Safety Committee. The employer shall organize a safety and health committee
in accordance with the OSHS;

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(b) Free hospitalization benefits for its employees and discounted services for immediate family
members who will be confined in the hospital.

(c) Provision of Personal Protective Equipment. All health care institutions are required to provide
their health workers with appropriate personal protective equipment at no cost to health workers
pursuant to the OSHS and other-related laws and issuances.

(d) Compensation for occupational disease and/or injury and work-related disease and/or injury
pursuant to guidelines of the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC).

(©) Social Welfare Benefits. Without prejudice to established company policy, collective bargaining
agreement or other applicable employment agreement, all health workers shall be entitled to
coverage for social welfare benefits such as Pag-IBIG Fund (Republic Act No. 7742), PhilHealth
(Republic Act No. 7875, as amended by the Republic Act No. 9241), Employees Compensation
Law (Presidential Decree No. 626 of 1975), and the Social Security Law (Republic Act No. 1161,
as amended by Republic Act No. 8282), and other applicable laws.

() Medical Examination. - Compulsory medical examination shall be provided free of charge
private health workers before entering the service and shall be repeated once a year during
the tenure of employment of all private health workers: Provided, That where medical examination
shows that medical treatment and/or hospitalization is necessary, the treatment and/or
hospitalization including medicines shall be provided free either in a government or a private
hospital by the government entity paying the salary of the health worker: Provided, further, That
the cost of such medical examination and treatment shall be included as automatic appropriation
in said entity’s annual budget.

SECTION 23. Right to Self-Organization. All private health workers have the basic right to
.clt-organize or form an employees’ union. Private health workers shall have the right to freely
form, join or organize all forms of actions including the right to strike and other peaceful concerted
activities in order to defend and protect their basic rights and welfare, and to obtain redress of
their grievances.

toa

SECTION 24. Freedom from Interference or Coercion. It shall be unlawful for any person
to commit any of the following acts of interference ot coercion:

@ to require as a condition of employment that a private health worker shall not join a health
workers’ organization or union or shall relinquish membership therein;

(b) to require membership to any professional association as a mandatory requirement for
employment;

(©) to discriminate in regard to hiring or tenure of employment or any item or condition of
employment in order to encourage or discourage membership in any health workers’ organization
or union;

(@) to prevent a health worker from carrying out duties laid upon him/her by his/her position
in the organization o union, ot to penalize him/her for the action undertaken in such capacity;

(© to harness or interfere with the discharge of the functions of the health worker when these
are calculated to intimidate or to prevent the performance of his/her duties and responsibilities;
and

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() wo otherwise interfere in the establishment, functioning, or administration of health workers
organization or unions through acts designed to place such organization or union;

(g) to harass or bully a health worker at the workplace at anytime and circumstances.

SECTION 25. Consultation with Health Worker's Organization. In the formulation of
governing the social security of private health workers, professional and health
workers, organizations or unions as well as other appropriate government agencies concerned shall
be consulted by the Secretary of Labor. For this purpose, Tripartite Council for national, regional
and other appropriate levels shall be established and operationalized.

national poli

SECTION 26. Health Human Resource Development/ Management Study. ‘The
Department of Labor shall conduct a periodic health human resource development/management
study into, among others, the following areas;

(@) Adequate facilities and supplies to render quality health care to patients and other client
population;

(b) Continuing Professional Development. Private health workers shall be provided by the
employer with relevant, appropriate and free continuing professional development to enhance
their knowledge, attitudes and skills as health workers and to improve and sustain quality health

care for clients. Compliance to CPD should not be used as a reason to affect the security of tenure

of health workers.

‘The employer must ensure career opportunity for health workers to grow and develop their
potentials and experience a sense of worth and dignity in their work. Private health workers who
undertake postyraduate studies in a degree course shall be entitled to an upgrading in their position
or raise in pay: Provided, that it shall not be more than every two (2) years;

(©) Free legal assistance to health workers who have work-related legal case and provision for
mechanisms for democratic consultation in private health institutions;

(@ Staffing patterns and standard or health care to ensure that the people receive-quality care.
Existing recommendations on staffing and standards of health care shall be immediately and
strictly enforced;

(©) Ways and means of enabling the rank-and-file workers to avail of education opportunities
for personal growth and development;

(0) Upgrading of working conditions, reclassification positions and salaries of private health
workers to correct disparity vis-a-vis other professions such that positions requiring longer study
to upgrade and given corresponding pay scale; and

(@ Assessment of the national policy on exportation of skilled health human resource to focus
on how these resources could instead be utilized productivity for the country’s needs.
SECTION 27. Prohibition Against Double Recovery of Benefits. Whenever other laws
provide for the same benefits covered by this Act, the private health worker shall have the option

to choose which benefits will be paid to him/her. However, in the event that the benefits chosen
are less than that provided under this Act, the worker shall be paid only the difference.

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SECTION 28. Prohibition Against Elimination and/or Diminution. Nothing in this law
shall be construed to eliminate or in any way diminish benefits being enjoyed by private health
workers at the time of the effectivity of this Act.

SECTION 29, Penal Provision. Any person/s who shall willfully interfere with, restrain ot
coerce any private health worker in the exercise of his/her rights or shall in any manner any act in
violation of any of the provisions of this Act, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not
fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) and imprisonment of 6 months but not more than one
or both at the discretion of the court.

less
(1) yea

IF the offender is a public official, the court, in addition to the penalties provided in the preceding
paragraph, may impose the additional penalty of disqualification from office.

‘This provision is in addition to other remedies available under existing laws.

SECTION 30. Budgetary Estimates. The Secretary of Labor shall submit annually the
y budgetary estimates to implement the provisions of this Act. Budgetary estimates for
rs should be reviewed and increased accordingly by the Secretary of Labor in
consultation with associations/unions or organizations of private health workers.

SECTION 31. Rules and Regulations. ‘The Secretary of Labor, after consultation with
appropriate agencies of the Government as well as professional and health workers’ organizations
or unions, shall formulate and prepare the necessary rules and regulations to implement the
provisions of this Act. Rules and regulations issued pursuant to this section shall take effect thirty
(30) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

SECTION 32. 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.

SECTION 33. Repealing Clause. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and their
implementing cules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 34, Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

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