Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1430

Introduced by the Honorable Danilo Ramon S. Fernandez

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Our medical personnel have been hailed as the frontliners in our fight against
the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, as the contagion worsened instead of waning, they
have been described as our last line of defense. Whichever label aptly describes them
at the present time, the fact remains that they are our best hope of overcoming this
national health emergency (next to a vaccine).

In the years prior to the emergence of Covid-19, our medical and those in
allied professions have sought greener pastures abroad. So much so that when the
pandemic struck, we were left with a grossly inadequate number of skilled medical
staff to deal with the rapidly spreading contagion. It is for this reason, that this bill
seeks to establish a Medical Reserve Corps, as a sort of “force multiplier” to our
health personnel, whose ranks are further being thinned by the highly infectious
coronavirus.

The proposed Medical Reserve Corps shall be composed of all persons who
have degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and allied fields
but have yet to have their respective licenses to practice for reasons such as but not
limited to not having taken and/or passed the licensure examinations in their
respective professions. We may have all the hospital institutions, quarantine facilities
and isolation tents that we want but without the skilled personnel who would man
these medical installations, our corresponding efforts would be unavailing.

In view of the foregoing reasons, the urgent passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.

HON. DANILO RAMON S. FERNANDEZ
Representative
Lone District, Santa Rosa City



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

‘No, 1490

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by the Honorable Danilo Ramon S. Fernandez

AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND OTHER PURPOSES

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 Reserve
Corps Act of 2022.”

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It shall be the policy of the State:

a. To institutionalize the vital role of medical and health-related personnel in
nation-building, promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and
social well-being; to inculcate in them patriotism and nationalism, and to encourage
their involvement in public and civic affairs, and

b. To train, equip and organize medical and health-related personnel, within
the current frameworks of national and territorial defense, law enforcement and
peace and order and national disaster risk reduction and management, to prepare
them for rapid mobilization at the soonest possible time in order to address national
and/or local contingencies which may require manpower beyond the capabilities of
existing national government agencies or local government units.

Sec. 3. Medical Reserve Corps. — There is hereby established a Medical
Reserve Corps which shall be composed of all persons who have degrees in the field
of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and allied fields but have yet to have their
respective licenses to practice for reasons such as but not limited to not having taken
and/or passed the licensure examinations in their respective professions.


The Department of Health (DoH) shall provide for the structure and
organization of the Corps, as well as the specific mechanisms for its efficient
mobilization and deployment.

Sec. 4. Medical Reserve Corps Mobilization. — In times of national
emergencies and other contingencies, the members of the Medical Reserve Corps
may be called upon and mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and
instrumentalities, and the local governments in their functions related to addressing
the medical needs of the public.

The mobilization shall be initiated by the Secretary of the Department of
Health (DoH), in coordination with the Secretaries of the Department of National
Defense (DND), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG), or their duly authorized representatives with
the rank of at least Undersecretary.

From time to time as manpower and training resources may allow during the
period of national emergencies and other contingencies, the Medical Reserve Corps
may be called for retraining to maintain and enhance its level of competency and
readiness for mobilization.

See. 5. Annual Reports. ~ The DoH shall regularly publish an annual report
containing a list of the accomplishments of the Medical Reserve Corps, status of its
operations, its number and demography, assessment of readiness for mobilization
and the incidence and details of each mobilization for the year concerned. The annual
report shall also include the results of the audit investigation on the spending of
funds appropriated, collected or advanced for the implementation of the provisions of
this Act.

Sec. 6. Request for Deployment. — The Medical Reserve Corps may be called
upon and mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and
instrumentalities, and the local government units in their functions related to
addressing the medical needs of the public through requests for deployment by the
heads of such national government agencies or local government units submitted to
the DoH. The requests shall contain a justification for the deployment of the Corps,
or a specified number of members thereof, and shall contain information as may be
required by the DoH, including the nature of the national or local contingencies to be
addressed, the purpose of the requested deployment, the number of personnel
requested to be deployed and the period of deployment.

See. 7. Evaluation of the Request for Deployment, - The DoH shall evaluate
the requests for deployment. When the number of personnel requested does not
exceed one hundred and fifty (150) and the period of deployment does not exceed
sixty (60) days, the DoH shall decide whether to approve or disapprove the request
within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt thereof. When the number of personnel
requested exceeds one hundred and fifty (150) or the period of deployment exceeds
sixty (60) days, the DoH shall make a recommendation to the Office of the President
(OP) within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the request. The OP shall decide


whether to approve or disapprove the request within twenty-four (24) hours from
receipt of the recommendation of the DoH.

In case of the approval of the request for deployment, the DoH shall issue an
Order of Deployment requiring the Corps, or a number thereof, to assist the national
government, its agencies and instrumentalities and the local government units in their
functions related to addressing the health-related needs of the public.

Sec. 8. Deployment in Case of a Declaration of a State of War, State of
Lawless Violence or State of Calamity; Nationwide Mobilization. — In case of a
declaration of a state of war, state of lawless violence or state of calamity, the DoH
may motu proprio recommend the mobilization of the Corps to the President of the
Philippines. The President of the Philippines, by himself, shall also have the power to
order the mobilization of the Corps to respond to national or local contingencies
related to external and territorial defense, internal security and peace and order
and/or disaster risk reduction management.

Sec. 9. Mobilization Centers. ~ There shall be established in each province
and city as many mobilization centers as needed according to the number and
geographical distribution of the Corps, where they will report in case of deployment.

In case of mobilization, the equipment of the Corps shall be supplied in close
coordination with the DoH and other national agencies and offices, with the end in
view of achieving rapid mobilization.

Sec. 10. Expenses of Deployment. — Upon deployment, the national
government agency or the local government unit to which the Corps is deployed shall
shoulder the operational expenses of deployment.

Sec. 11. Operationalization of Deployment. - The DoH shall promulgate the
specific mechanisms by which deployment is efficiently implemented, including the
organization of the Corps to be deployed, their territorial assignments, how
deployment orders are communicated to each member of the Corps and to which
mobilization center they will report.

Sec. 12. Serial Numbers and Registry. — Upon completion of their respective
degrees, the graduates shall be issued individual serial numbers, which will serve as
their identification in case of deployment.

The DoH shall maintain and update a registry/database containing the names
of the members of the Corps, their serial numbers, address, contact details and such
other information as the DoH may determine, in accordance with any applicable
privacy laws. For this purpose, all public and private colleges universities and
learning institutions are hereby mandated to annually transmit their records of the
graduates covered under this Act to the DoH, in the form as may be determined by
the department.


Alll graduates covered under this Act are required to update their addresses and
contact details on file with the DoH as often as necessary. Orders of deployment sent
to the addresses and/or through the contact details on file with the DoH shall be
sufficient notice for purposes of deployment.

Sec. 13. Termination of Deployment. - Upon the expiration of the requested
period of deployment, without an extension having been requested and approved by
the DoH, the Corps shall be discharged of its duties. The deployment may also be
terminated earlier upon a determination by the DoH, in consultation with the
requesting national government agency or local government unit, that such
deployment is no longer in accordance with the objectives and purposes of this Act.

See. 14. Effect on Employment. — Deployment of employees in accordance
with the provisions of this Act shall not be a ground for dismissal or diminution of
any benefit enjoyed by such graduates prior to their deployment. The members of the
Corps shall be entitled to their regular wage or salary during the period of their
deployment.

See. 15. Medical Reserve Corps Fund. — A Medical Reserve Corps Fund is
hereby established exclusively for the implementation of the objectives and purposes
of this Act. The Office of the President shall monitor and evaluate the activities and
the balances of the Fund.

Sec. 16. School Fees. — Public colleges, universities and similar learning
institutions covered by Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the Universal
Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, shall not collect any fee from the members
of the Medical Reserve Corps in addition to the normal fees and charges pertinent to
their education and training in said colleges, universities and other similar
institutions.

Sec. 17. Appropriations. — The Medical Reserve Corps Fund shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 18. Penal Provisions. —

Failure to respond to the order of deployment despite notice sent to the
address and/or contact details on file with the DoH without any justifiable reason
shall, upon conviction by a civil court, be punishable as follows:

First offense: One hundred and twenty (120) hours of community service;

Second offense: Two hundred and forty (240) hours of community service;
and

Third and subsequent offenses: Six (6) months imprisonment and four
hundred and eighty (480) hours of community service.


Likewise, any employer or third person who, by threat, intimidation or any
other means, prevent or otherwise frustrate, without justifiable cause, any qualified
individual from responding to an order of deployment under this Act shall be
punished as so provided in the preceding paragraph.

Sec. 19. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within thirty (30) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the DoH shall issue the necessary rules and
regulations for its effective implementation.

See. 20. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, orders, rules and regulations and other
issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 21. Separability Clause. — If any part or provision of this Act is held
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions thereof which are not affected
shall continue to remain in full force and effect.

Sec. 22, Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following the

completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,