FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
, 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1348 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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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 otherwise known as the "Magna Carta of Public Health 
Workers" is the law governing the rights and privileges of public health workers in 
the country. Under 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 other 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." 
However, this law does not include our noble day care workers whose 
positions are created under Republic Act No. 6972 or "An Act Establishing a Day 
Care Center in Every Barangay, 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, local government units are 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 
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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 compensation 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. 
~LOREN 
LEGARDA 
Senator 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 1348 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
TO UPHOLD THE RIGHTS AND PROMOTE TIlE 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: 
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SECTION 1. Section 3 or Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the 
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"Magna Carta of Public Health Workers", is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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"SEe. 3. Definition. - For purposes of this Act, "health workers" shall 
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mean all persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, 
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and all persons employed in all hospitals, sanitaria, health infirmaries, 
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health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, DAY CARE 
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CENTERS, clinics and other health-related establishments owned and 
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operated by the Government or its political subdivisions with original 
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charters and shall include medical, allied health professional, 
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administrative and support personnel employed regardless of their 
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employment status. 
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SEC. 2. Section 22 of Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the "Magna 
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Carta of Public Health Workers", is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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"SHe. 22. Subsistence Allowance. - Public 'health workers who are 
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required to render service within the premises of hospitals, sanitaria, 
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health infirmaries, main health centers, rural health units and 
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barangay health stations, DAY CARE CENTERS or clinics, and other 
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health-related establishments in order to make their services available 
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at any and all times, shall be entitled to full subsistence allowance of 
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three (3) meals which may be computed in accordance with prevailing 
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circumstances as determined by the Secretary of Health in consultation 
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with the Management Health Workers' Consultative Councils, as 
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established under Section 33 of this Act: Provided, That representation 
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and travel allowance shall be given to rural health physicians as 
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enjoyed by municipal agriculturists, municipal planning and 
development officers and budget officers. 
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SEC. 3. Separability Clause. - If any part of this Act should hereafter be 
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declared unconstitutional or invalid, such other parts hereof not otherwise affected 
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thereby shall continue in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 4. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders 
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and their implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby 
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 5. EffectiVity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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