THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
THIRD REGULAR SESSION 
1 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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S E N A T E  
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S. No. 
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introduced by SENATOR LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
There is no integrated medical professional organization, though 
there exists the Philippine Medical Association, Inc. (PMA) which is an 
organization of doctors licensed to practice medicine in the Philippines. 
The PMA is one of the most prestigious organizations in the 
Philippines, the umbrella organization of the medical profession of the 
country. It is duly registered with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (SEC) as a non-stock, non-profit organization and is the 
mother association of all ‘medical organizations in the Philippines. it was 
founded September 15, 1903, at a time when the country was under 
American rule. The Philippine Medical Association brings together the 
entire medical profession under one roof to serve as an authoritative 
source of information on health, disease and medical practice. It is 
responsible for the training of Specialists through its Specialty Societies. 
It is responsible for the sustained excellent quality healthcare delivery 
through its continuing medical education, formulation of clinical 
practices, guidelines, directly or through the specialty societies. It polices 
its ranks through the rigid Code of Ethics of the medical profession. 
The PMA has eight specialty divisions such as Pathology, 
Radiology, Anesthesiology, Surgery, Physicians, Pediatrics, Obstetrics 
and Gynecology and Family Medicine. All of these specialty divisions 
have several sub-specialty societies. There are 28,000 physicians who 
are members of the PMA. Membership in the Philippine Medical 
Association is coursed through the Component Society, the basic unit of 
the Association. There are presently 117 Component Societies equitably 
distributed in all regions of the country. All provinces and cities in the 
Philippines have component societies, more popularly known as medical 
societies. A group of these medical societies form a region or regional 
council. The Board of Governors exercises control and supervision over 
the regional councils and the component societies. The Board of 
Governors has the power to realign regions and component societies and 
further has the power to create new component society or delist existing 
one. 
Aside from its by-laws, duly registered with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission, the PMA has codes governing its affairs and the 
conduct of its members. Among its codes are the Administrative Code, 
the Code on Continuing Medical Education, Code of Ethics, the Election 


Code and Mutual Aid Code and Guidelines on Protocol and Procedures 
and Guidelines on Affiliate Societies. 
For the benefit of its members, the PMA and its specialty societies 
conduct periodically seminars, workshops and conventions educating its 
members on the latest medical technology and medicine. Its specialty 
societies determine who are the specialists in several fields of medicine. 
There is no other medical organization that possesses the breadth, 
composition, membership and nationwide coverage of the PMA. 
In 
almost all matters affecting health or the medical profession, the 
government seeks the advice of the PMA. This bill will put the PMA as a 
partner of the Government in the improvement of the health care delivery 
system to include the alleviation of the exodus of doctors to foreign 
lands. 
Further, this bill will rid the medical profession of so called misfits 
found to be negligent in their practice. The negligent acts of doctors led 
to a spate of incidents wherein patients either died, were maimed, 
scarred or suffered physical injuries. 
Under present laws, a patient has three options to remedy or 
punish such negligent acts. One is the filing of a criminal action under 
the Revised Penal Code under Article 365 (reckless imprudence), the 
second is the filing of a civil case for the recovery of damages and the 
third is the filing of a case before the Professional Regulations 
Commission for the revocation of the license of the doctor. 
Patients might find the current options not suitable for his need 
because of 
a) court or administrative actions are time consuming 
as the 
courts and the PRC are clogged with other cases 
b) Filing of such actions is financially burdensome on the patient. 
c) court or administrative actions are mired in technicalities 
especially those concerning evidence, the presentation and 
weighing of which must adhere to the strict technical rules of 
procedure and evidence 
This bill will provide a patient with a fourth option, that of filing a 
case with an integrated professional medical organization. 
An 
aggrieved patient may now seek for the revocation of membership of the 
doctor from the integrated professional medical organization. The threat 
of revocation will carry a lot of weight since the livelihood of the doctor 
depends on his continued membership in the organization. 
This bill seeks to accredit and acknowledge the Philippine Medical 
Association as the integrated professional medical organization. If the 
bill is passed, the medical profession, just like the legal profession, shall 
be integrated into one accredited organization. No doctor can practice 
his profession unless he becomes a member of such integrated 
professional organization. Since the PMA is already in existence, the 
government will not be spending a single centavo. It shall serve as an 
extension of the government in regulating the medical profession, 


maintaining the Jiigh standard, ethical conduct of the medical 
professionals and help in the continued delivery of quality health 
care. 
Early approval of this bill is earnestly recommended. 
LUISA “LQI” 4. EJERCITQ ESTRADA 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH COPIGRESS OF THE 
1 
Third Regular Session 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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S E N A T E  
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
ACCREDITING THE PHILIPPINE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AS THE 
INTEGRATED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE 
PHILIPPINES 
Be enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the 
“INTEGRATED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION ACT OF 2006.” 
SEC. 2. The Philippine Medical Association, Inc. shall be the only 
Integrated Medical Professional Organization in the Philippines. 
SEC. 3 
Membership - All physicians duly registered with the 
Professional Regulations Commission shall become members of the 
Philippine Medical Association, Inc. Membership in good standing of the 
PMA shall be a condition precedent for his renewal of license and for the 
continuous practice of medicine. 
SEC 4. Organization - The organizational structure of the 
Philippine Medical Association, Inc. including the specialty divisions, 
specialty and sub-specialty societies and the component medical 
societies and as a non-stock, non-profit corporation duly registered with 
the Securities and Exchange Commission shall be retained. 
SEC.5. 
Rules and Regulations - The Philippine Medical 
Association shall prescribe rules and regulations to implement the 
integration of the medical profession including the various specialty 
divisions, the specialty and subspecialty societies and their training 
program, and the component and affiliate medical societies. 
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SEC. 6. Complaints - 
The Philippine Medical Association shall 
hear complaints against its members. The Philippine Medical Association 
shall prescribe its rules to govern the conduct of its proceedings and the 
rules of its procedures. The rules shall be liberally construed and the 
technical rules of procedure on evidence shall not be strictly applied. 
SEC. 7. 
Grounds - A person may file a verified complaint before 
the Philippine Medical Association against a PMA member based on the 
following grounds: 
gross negligence, ignorance or incompetence in the 
practice of his/her profession resulting in 
death, 
physical injury to a person; 
conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction of any 
criminal offense involving moral turpitude; 
immoral or dishonorable conduct; 
insanity; 
fraud 
in 
the acquisition 
of 
the 
certificate 
of 
registration, and professional 
license or renewal 
thereof; 
addiction to alcoholic beverages or to any habit- 
forming drug rendering him or her incompetent to 
practice his or her profession; 
false or extravagant or unethical advertisement; 
performing or aiding in any criminal abortion; 
knowingly issuing any false medical certificate; 
issuing any statement or spreading any news or rumor 
which is derogatory to the character and reputation of 
another physician without justifiable motive; 
aiding or acting as a dummy of unqualified or 
unregistered person to practice medicine; and 
violation of the Code of Ethics of the PMA. 
Penalties - . The Philippine Medical Association may 
impose penalties of reprimand, suspension or expulsion. All cases filed 
or pending under this act shall not be discussed or taken in any forum 
until after the same shall have been decided with finality. 
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SEC 9. Implementing Rules - The Philippine Medical Association 
shall promulgate the implementing rules and guidelines within 60 days 
after the enactment of this act. 
SEC 10. Separability Clause - If any provision of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions not affected herein 
shall remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 11 Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, order, rule and 
regulations that are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed 
and/ or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 12 Effectivity - This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of national 
circulation, which ever is earlier. 
Approved, 
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