%
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
} 
F irst R egular Session 
}
S E N A T E  
S.B. No. 
^
*19 JUL -1 A 9 38
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III
AN ACT
PROVIDING MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND 
COLLEGES TO QUALIFIED STUDENTS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Mahatma Gandhi once said “It is health which is real wealth, and not 
pieces of gold and silver.” It means that there is nothing in life that is more 
valuable than our health as it is a state of a person’s complete physical, 
mental and social well-being. It is that important that it has been a declared 
policy of the State, and enshrined in the highest law of the land, to protect 
and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness 
among them.
However, even though the government is allotting so much of our 
limited resources for the countiy’s healthcare -  with an increasing budget and 
spending trend every year -  it seems that there are still a lot of areas for 
improvement. One of the ai'eas that have to be addressed is the worsening 
shortage of doctors. In a statement given by the Philippine Medical Association 
(PMA) in 2014, it declared that the shortage is expected to reach 930,000 
when the country’s population reaches 100 million -  considering that the


4 %
“internationally-suggested” ratio is one doctor per 100 population1. As of 
January 01, 2016, the population of Philippines was estimated to be 
101,498,763 people; thus, the predicted shortage by the PMA in 2014 is not 
anymore a forecast but a reality -  reality that has to be faced and solved head- 
on.
In addition to the scarcity in the number of doctors, another issue that 
has to be addressed in relation thereto is the severe “maldistribution” of 
physicians in the country caused by most doctors preferring to practice in the 
urban ai'eas than in the rural.1 2
This proposed measure seeks to address both issues of scarcity and 
maldistribution of physicians because the granting of scholarships to 
deserving medical students would aid in the increase of the number of 
physicians in the country. At the same time, the condition stipulated in this 
bill that immediately after graduating from the program, the scholar m ust 
work in the country for five (5) years, two (2) year's of which m ust be rendered 
in a government hospital or office where he/she resides would hopefully put 
a sense of balance in the distribution of doctors par'ticulai'ly in the government 
sector, which talce care of nearly 70%3 of the health care needs of the 
population.
If the afore-cited issues would be solved, it will translate into better 
services and eventually a better nation, thus the passage of this bill is 
ear'nestly recommended.
VICENTE CL SOTTO III
1 hllp:/Avww.plulstar.com/hcadlincs/2014/01/31/1285056/piiui-wams-\voi'scuing-shorlagc-doclors
2 Tlic Pliilippinc Healtli Agenda for 2016 to 2022. Philippine JounvnI of Inleriuil Medicine. Espcraiiza 1. Cabral. 
M.D
3 Ibid.


f
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
} 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
}
F irst R egular Session 
}
S E N A T E  
S.B. N o .____1
•19 
JUL -1 
A 9 :38
RECc. I CL.
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III * 1 1
AN ACT
PROVIDING MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND 
COLLEGES TO QUALIFIED STUDENTS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1: Short Title. -  This act shall be known as the “Medical
2 
Scholarship Act”
3 
SECTION 2. D eclaration of Policy. -  It is the policy of the State to
4 
protect and promote the right to healtli of the people and instill health
5 
consciousness among them. In order to cariy out such policy, the number of
6 
health professionals who will provide for the needed health services must meet
7 
the World Health Organization standards. Towards this end, the State shall
8 
establish a scholarship program that will encourage aspiring medical
9 
students to pursue education and training in the field of medicine and who,
10 
thereafter, shall render their services in government hospitals or offices.
11 
SECTION 3. Q ualifications of Candidates. -  A scholai'ship in a state-
12 
run university or college shall be granted to any aspiring medical student,
13 
subject to the following qualifications:
14 
a) Must belong to the top twenty per centum (20%) of the graduating
15 
batch;


1 
b) The personal and/or family’s income must not be sufficient to
2 
support the aspiring medical student’s education;
3 
c) Must passed the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT);
4 
d) Must passed the medical school’s entrance examination
5 
e) Such other qualifications as the state-run university or college may
6 
deem necessary, provided that it shall not defeat the purpose of this
7 
Act
8 
SECTION 4. E xtent of Scholarship Grant. -  The scholarship grant
9 
shall cover expenses for, among others, tuition, laboratory and miscellaneous
10 
fees; required textbooks, school supplies and equipment; clothing and
11 
uniform allowances; traveling expenses; board and lodging expenses; and
12 
subsistence and living allowances.
13 
SECTION 5. Conditions of the Scholarship Grant. -  The admitted
14 
scholars shall continue to enjoy the benefits of the scholarship grant until the
15 
completion of the program, subject to the following conditions:
16 
a) The scholar should finish the entire program without any delay;
17 
' 
b) The scholar may be allowed to file a leave of absence for one (1)
18 
school year in the institution where he/she is enrolled only for
19 
justifiable reasons;
20 
c) No other scholarship grant shall be accepted by the scholar while
21 
enjoying the benefits of this Act;
22 
d) Immediately after graduating from the program, the scholar m ust
23 
work in the country for five (5) years, two (2) years of which must be
24 
rendered in a govei'nment hospital or office where he/she resides.
25 
SECTION 6. Failure to Comply with the Conditions. - Failur e of the
26 
scholar to comply with Section 5 pars, (a), (b) and (c) shall automatically
27 
disqualify him /her to enjoy the benefits of the scholarship program. In
28 
addition thereto, the non-compliant scholar' shall pay for all the expenses
29 
incurred dur'ing his/her participation in the scholarship program if any
30 
condition is breached.
31 
SECTION 7. Number of Scholars to be Admitted. -  Every five (5) years
32 
upon the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Health
33 
(DOH), the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and


1 
the President and a representative from the respective Boards of Regents of
2 
the state universities or colleges concerned shall determine the number of
3 
scholars that should be admitted eveiy school year. The needed number of
4 
physicians of the town or province where the state university or college is
5 
situated shall be taken into consideration in determining the number of
6 
scholars, provided that the admitted scholars in any state university or college
7 
for any given school year shall not be less than five (5).
8 
SECTION 8. A ppropriations. -  Fifty per centum (50%) of the amount
9 
necessary to effectively cany out the initial implementation of this Act shall
10 
be sourced from the DOH, while the remaining fifty per centum (50%) shall
11 
be coming from the funds of the covered state-run university or college.
12 
Thereafter, such amount necessaiy for the continued implementation of this
13 
Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
14 
SECTION 9. Im plem enting Rules an d  Regulations. -  Within 60 days
15 
after the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of DOH, the Chairman of CHED,
16 
and the President and a representative from the respective Boards of Regents
17 
of the state universities or colleges concerned shall promulgate rules and
18 
regulations necessaiy for the effective implementation of this Act.
19 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. -  If any provision of this Act is held
20 
invalid or unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and
21 
effectivity of the other provisions hereof.
22 
SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. -  All laws, decrees, orders, and
23 
issuances, or portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of
24 
this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
25 
SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
26 
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of
27 
general circulation.
Approved,