SE REPRESENT ATIVES
YECERVED
17 AUG 2140

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE!
Quezon City, Metro Manila
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bit No.31.0.1

REGISTRATION UNIT

|
Republic of the Philippines js
| BILLS AND INOLX SERVICE

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Emmeline Y. Aglipay ~

PLANATORY NOTE

Filipino nurses are some of the best in the world, and for many years, the high demand
for their services here and abroad spurred a steady increase in the number of Filipinos secking
careers in the nursing industry. In recent years, however, that international demand has
decreased, leading to an unfortunate saturation of the industry which has led to many of our
nurses being underemployed or unemployed.

‘The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) estimated that there are at least 300,000
unemployed nurses in the country', This number presents both a challenge and an opportunity,
for the government is placed in a position to enable our nurses to practice their chosen profession
ina manner that benefits them as well as well as local communities, particularly those in need of
professional medical assistance such as distant barangays underserved by government health
centers. For the government to tap our pool of qualified yet unemployed nurses will be a win for
all involved.

This bill, filed as a counterpart of Senate Bill No. 726 with the support of its author,
Senator Cynthia Villar, enacts a program whereby the government mobilizes our population of
unemployed nurses in order to dispatch at least one registered nurse to every barangay in the
Philippines, their duties to include not only direct health services but education with regard (0 the
importance of health, hygiene, sanitation, and wellness.

Hawt We. Kellan

EMMELINE Y. AGLIPAY ~ VILLAR
Representative, DIWA Party

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

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS,
irst Regular Session

3101

House Bill No,"

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Emmeline Y. Aglipay ~ Villar

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE,
REGISTERED NURS RK

MPLOYMENT OF NURSES, ASSIGNING ONE.
ERY BARANGAY IN THE PHILIPPINES,

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 “A Nurse in Every Barangay
Act of 2016".

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies. ~ The State affirms labor as a primary social
economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare. Towards this
end, it is further declared the policy of the State to promote a sustained and cultivated reservoir
of national talents, preserving the skills and aptitude of our trained professionals, particularly our
nurses, through the utilization and maximization of their medical knowledge that will likewise
help promote the right of the people to health, thereby achieving the realization of a healthy and
productive citizenry.

SECTION 3. Program of the Employment of Nurses in Every Barangay. ~ There is
hereby established a Program for the Emplayment of Nurses in every barangay, for the purpose
of improving the delivery of public health care services, and to provide relevant and timely
education on wellness, hygiene, sanitation and other health safety measures to the poorest
communities in rural areas as well as underprivileged communities in the urban areas, while
providing gainful employment to registered nurses and utilizing their professional competencies.

“TION 4, Role of Local Government Units. Each local government unit is
mandated to employ one (1) registered nurse in every barangay within their jurisdiction,

SECTION 5, Recruitment, Selection, and Training. ~ The local government units shall
secure the assistance of the Department of Health in recruiting, selecting, and in training the
registered nurses employed by Local government units to ensure their capability in addressing
public health and wellness concerns of the barangays,

For this purpose, the Department of Health is hereby mandated to issue guidelines setting
the qualifications of nurses to be deployed to the barangays as well as come up with a module for
the relevant training of these nurses. The guidelines to be set shall in no case discriminate against
the hiring of fresh graduates or newly passed registered nurses.

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SECTION 6. Minimum Qualification of Nurses, ~ Nurses engaged under the program
shall have the following minimum qualifications; must have a valid RN license issted by the
Professional Regulatory Commission; must be willing to relocate to its assigned area
temporarily; and must have passion for public health concerns,

SECTION 7. Stipend, ~ Nurses employed under the program shall be entitled to a
monthly stipend preferably equal to salary grade 15, consistent with the mandatory minimum
entry-level pay for government nurses under the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, or Republic
Act No. 9173,

TION 8. Certification. — Nurses under this program are required to provide an
annual health status report regarding the average health and wellness of the barangay and must
provide suggestions to the local government units to improve the health and wellness of all
citizens of the barangay.

SECTION 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement the prov
this Act shall be initially appropriated out of the funds of the respective local government units,
‘Thereafter, the amount necessary for the full implementation of this program shall be included in
the respective budget of the local government units in the General Appropriation Act

SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ Within sixty days (60) from the
effectivity of this Act, the DILG and DOH shall promulgate the implementing rules and
regulations, as may be necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of this
Act

SECTION II. Separability Clause. If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting

SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly

SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation,

Approved,

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