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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HoUsEBiLLNo.7943
Introduced by Rep. LORFTO 8. ACHARON
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This  bill  is a  proposal to establish  a full-pledged  College of Medicine at the  General
Santos City Campus of the Mindanao State University (MSU) and upgrade the existing
College of Medicine Extension Program thereat as it is currently administered by MSU
Main Campus -College of Medicine located at the Islamic City of Marawi, Province of
Lanao del Sur.
House Bill  No. 9521, in substitution of House Bills Numbered 7473 and 7809 entitled
'`AN    ACT    ESTABLISHING    A    COLLEGE    OF    MEDICINE    IN    THE    MINDANA0    STATE
UNIVERSITY-GENERAL SANTOS CllY CAMPUS IN GENERAL SANTOS CITY, PROVINCE OF
SOUTH COTABATO, TO BE KNOWN AS THE ``MINDANAO STATE UN IVERSITY -GEN ERAL
SANTOS    CITY    CAMPUS    COLLEGE    OF    MEDICINE",    AND   APPROPRIATING    FUNDS
THEREFOR" was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives
on March 03, 2021.
In consonance with the spirit and intent of Section 48, Rule X of the Rules of the House
of Representatives,  this  representation  humbly seeks the  approval  of this  measure
accordingly  as  a  matter  already  reported;  and  upon  approval  of  majority  of  the
Members of the committee present, there being a quorum.
This  measure  when  enacted  will  help  and  strengthen  the  efforts  to  address  the
shortage of doctors, as well as the imbalance in the distribution of the same, in areas
and  regions of the country that are outside of metropolitan areas,  more particularly
in the provinces, cities and municipalities in Region Xll.
In view of the foregoing, passage of this measure is earnestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSEBiLLNo.7943
Introduced by Rep. LORFTO 8. ACHARON
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A COLLEGE 0F MEDICINE IN THE MINDANA0 STATE
UNIVERSITY-GENERAL SANTOS CITY CAMPUS IN GENERAL SANTOS CITY,
TO BE KNOWN AS THE "MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY-GENERAL SANTOS
CITY CAMPUS COLLEGE 0F MEDICINE", AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House Of Representatives of the Philippines
•In Congress assembled:
SECTION  1. Estob//-shment. -There is hereby established a medical school  in
the Mindanao State University (MSU)-General Santos City Campus located  in General
Santos  City,  to   be   known  as  the   ``MSU-General  Santos  City  Campus  College  of
Medicine".
Upon  the  effectivity  of this Act,  the  current  College  of  Medicine  Extension
Program  offered  by  the  MSU-Main  Campus  located  in  the  Islamic  City  of  Marawi,
Province of Lanao del Sur, shall  be administratively transferred to the MSU-General
Santos City Campus College of Medicine.
SEC. 2. Genera/ Mondcte. -The MSU-General Santos City College of Medicine,
hereinafter  referred  to  as the  "College",  shall  primarily offer a  Doctor of Medicine
Program,  including the  Integrated  Liberal  Arts and  Medicine  (lNTARMED)  Program,
consisting  of  basic  science  and   clinical  courses,   and   using  learner-centered   and
competency-based  approach. The  primary goal of the College shall  be to develop a
corps of professional physicians to strengthen the healthcare system of the country,
as well as to respond to the human resource development needs of the City of General
Santos and  Region XII.
The College is also mandated to undertake research and extension services and
provide progressive leadership in these areas.


SEC.  3.  Governance.  -  Being  an  institution  within  the  MSU  System,  the
governance  of  the  College  shall  be  vested  in  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  MSU,
hereinafter referred to as the Board, whose powers are defined under Republic Act
No.  3791, entitled  ``An Act to Amend  Republic Act Numbered Thirteen  Hundred  and
Eighty-Seven   Providing  for  the   Establishment  of  the   University  of  Mindanao   in
Dansalan City, as Amended by Republic Act Numbered Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-
three,  so as to Change the Name of the  University of Mindanao to Mindanao State
University  and  to  Grant  a  Permanent  Site  to  the  Said  University,"  as  amended  by
Republic Act No. 3868, entitled ``An Act to Amend Certain  Provisions of Republic Act
Numbered   Thirteen   Hundred   and   Eighty-Seven,   as   Amended   by   Republic   Act
Numbered  Eighteen  Ninety-three,  Relating  to  the  Composition  and  Powers  of the
Board  of  Regents  of the  Mindanao  State  University,  and  for Other  Purposes",  and
other   applicable   laws  and   regulations,   unless  otherwise   provided   or   amended
elsewhere in this Act.
SEC. 4. 7lhe Co//age Dean. -The College shall be headed by a Dean who shall
be appointed by the Board, subject to its guidelines on qualifications and standards,
and   based   on   the   recommendation   of  the   Chancellor,   following   a   process   of
consultation  with  the  constituents  of the  College.  The  Dean  shall  render  full-time
service, serve a term of three (3) years, and may be reappointed to another term.
Within  six  (6)  months  of the  effectivity of this Act,  the  Chancellor of  MSU-
General Santos City Campus shall constitute the Search Committee for the Deanship.
The  powers  and  duties  of  the  Dean  of  the  College,  in  addition  to  those
specifically provided for in this Act, shall include those usually pertaining to the Office
of the Dean of similar state colleges and those delegated by the Chancellor.
The salary of the Dean of the College shall be in accordance with Republic Act
No.   11466   or  the   ``Salary  Standardization   Law   of  2019'',   and   such   other   laws
amendatory thereto, which may hereinafter be enacted, and shall be comparable to
that being received by the Deans of similar educational institutions.
In case of a vacaney in the Office of the Dean by reason of death, compulsory
retirement, resignation, removal for cause, or incapacity of the Dean to perform the
functions of the office, the Board  upon the recommendation of the Chancellor, shall
designate an Officer-in-Charge of the College, pending the appointment of a new Dean:
Provi.bed, That the Officer-in-Charge shall serve only during the unexpired portion of
the term.
The Dean of the College shall be assisted by a College Secretary, who shall be
appointed by the Chancellor.
SEC. 5. 7lhe focu/ty. -The Board shall appoint, upon the recommendation of
the  Chancellor  and  the  nomination  by the  President  of the  University,  the  faculty
members of the College: Provi.bed, That no political belief, gender preference, cultural


or community affiliation or ethnic origin, nor religious opinion or affiliation shall be a
matter of inquiry in the  appointment of faculty members of the  College:  Provi.bed,
/urther, That said appointment shall be subject to the guidelines, qualifications, and
standards set by the Board: Provi.did, /i.ncr//y, That no member of the faculty teach for
or against any particular church or religious sect.
SEC.  6.  Scholarship  Programs  and Admission.  - The  College  shall  prcN.ide
scholarships  and  other  affirmative  action  programs  to  assist  poor  but  deserving
students who qualify for admission to the College.
No  student  shall  be  denied  admission  to  the  College  by  reason  of gender,
religion, cultural or community affiliation, physical disability, or ethnic origin.
SEC.I. Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy. -The College sl`all
enjoy academic freedom and institutional autonomy, pursuant to paragraph 2, Section
5 of Article XIV of the Constitution.
SIC. 8. Authority to Loan or Transfer Apparatus, Equipment or Supplies and
Deto/./ oJ Persome/. -Upon the request of the Board, through the President of the
MSU, the heads of the bureaus and offices of the national government may loan or
transfer to the College such apparatus, equipment or supplies as may be needed by it,
and detail employees for duty therein when, in the judgement of the head of bureau
or office, the apparatus,  equipment,  supplies or services of such employees can  be
spared without serious detriment to public service.
The employees so detailed shall  perform such duties as required  of them  by
the  Dean  of the  College,  and  the time  so  served  shall  be  counted  as  part  of their
regular service.
SEC. 9. Assets, I/.ob/./i.I/.es and Personne/. -All existing appropriations, assets,
both  real  and  personal,  personnel,  and  records  of  the  MSU  College  of  Medicine
Extension  Program  in  the  General  santos  City  Campus,  as  well  as  its  liabilities  or
obligations, are hereby transferred to the College: Provi.bed, That the positions, rights,
and  security of tenure of faculty  members and  personnel therein employed  under
existing laws prior to the enactment of this Act shall be respected: Prov/.bed, further,
That  the  employees  currently  holding  the  said  positions  shall  remain  in  the  same
status until otherwise provided by the Board: Provi.bed, Ji.in//y, That the College shall
upgrade or increase its human resource component as may be deemed appropriate
by the Board.
All  parcels  of land  belonging  to  the  government  that  are  occupied  by  the
College  are  hereby declared  the  property of the  MSU,  and  shall  be titled  under  its
name: Provi.bed, that should the College ceases to exist or be abolished or should such
aforementioned  parcels  of  land  be  no  longer  needed  by  the  MSU,  the  same  shall
revert to the concerned local government unit or to the Republic of the Philippines, as
the case may be.


SEC.10. Duty and Tor Exempti.ons. -The importation by the College of med ical
books  or  publications,  medical  equipment  or  instruments  which  are  for  medical,
laboratory or scientific purposes shall, upon certification by the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), be exempt from customs duties in accordance with the provisions
of Republic Act No.10863, otherwise known as the ``Customs Modernization and Tariff
Act (CMTA)";
All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and contributions made to and
used  actually, directly and exclusively for educational purposes by the College, shall
be exempt from donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction
from  gross  income  for  purposes  of computing the taxable  income  of the  donor  in
accordance  with  the  provisions  of the  National  Internal  Revenue  Code  of  1997,  as
amended.
SEC.  11. Supp/etory App/J.cati.on. -The provisions of Republic Act  No. 8292,
otherwise  known  as the  ``Higher  Education  Modernization  Act of 1997",  shall  form
part of this Act.
SEC.   12.   Pori.ty   C/owse.   -   All   other   powers,   functions   and   privileges,
responsibilities  and  limitations  under  existing  laws  shall  be  deemed  granted  to  or
imposed upon the College and its officials, whenever appropriate.
SEC. 13. Appropri.ctl.ons. -The amount necessary to carry out the provisions
of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -W.ith.in stixty (60} days from
the approval of this Act, the Board shall, in consultation with the CHED, issue the rules
and regulations to fully implement the provisions of this Act.
SEC.15. Seporob;/i-ty GJowse. -If, for any reason, any part or provision of this
Act  is  declared  invalid  or  unconstitutional,  the  remaining  parts  or  provisions  not
affected are in full force and effect.
SEC.  16. flepco/i.ng C/ouse. -All  laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
and  rules and  regulations contrary to or inconsistent with  the  provision  of this Act
amended, repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC.  17.  I/recti.vi.ty.  - This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  after  its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved.