FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 2136 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Health is a fundamental human right. As such, it is the obligation of society to 
make it possible for the individual to attain a level of health consistent with the 
resources of the community in which he/she lives. With this, the individual living in a 
society has a right to expect the provision of measures directed towards public health as 
well as more specific services and facilities for those afflicted with illnesses and 
diseases. 
The physician is a professional whose primary purpose is to cure the sick and 
alleviate suffering. It is through him/her that the more complicated disorders of health 
can be attended to and services rendered towards their remedy. The physician belongs 
to a profession with a long and noble tradition directed to healing the infirm through a 
compassionate concern for fellow men. In the pursuit of his/her medical profession, the 
physician's principal objective is the health of the patient under his/her care. Moreover, 
the physician has the duty to respect the dignity and individuality of his/her patient as a 
human being, regardless of stage of development, status in life, religious or political 
beliefs, racial background or other circumstances. 
The basis for the physician's ethical compliance is the Code of Ethics of the 
Medical Profession which was established by the community of physicians among 
whom he/she practices. 
Because of the significant importance and responsibility that goes with the 
practice of' the medical profession, there is an urgent need to institutionalize an 
integrated medical professional organization which shall ensure the high standard in the 
practice of the medical profession in the country. 
The government needs to 
institutionalize a mechanism that will promote the highest levels of medical knowledge 
and skills through continuing education and research, and to promote the healing 
ministrations of the physician in the delivery of quality health care of patients. 
At present, there exists the Philippine Medical Association, Inc. (PMA) as an 
organization of doctors licensed to practice medicine in the Philippines. The PMA is the 
umbrella organization of the medical profeSSion of the country. 
It was founded on 
September 15, 1903, at a time when the country was under the American rule. 
The PMA brings together the entire medical profession under one roof to serve as 
an authoritative source of information of health, disease and medical practice. 
It is 
responsible for the sustained excellent quality healthcare delivery through its continuing 
medical education, formulation of clinical practices, guidelines, directly or through the 
special societies. It polices its own ranks through the rigid Code of Ethics of the Medical 
Profession. 
; 
-j 


Membership in the Philippine Medical Association is coursed through the 
Component Society, which is 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. 
For the benefit of its members, the PMA and its specialty societies conduct periodic 
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. 
To date, 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. 
As suqh, this proposed measure puts the PMA as a partner of the Government in 
the improvement of the health care delivery system. 
This measure seeks to 
institutionalize a mechanism to regulate and rid the medical profession of so called 
misfits found to be negligent in their medical practice. This bill seeks to institutionalize 
the Philippine Medical Association as the integrated professional medical organization 
in the country where all physiCians wanting to practice medicine will be required to 
become members of the PMA. 
With the passage of this measure, the medical 
profession, just like the legal profession, will be integrated into one (1) accredited 
organization, to be known as the Philippine Medical Association (PMA). 
If the bill is passed into law, we will· be creating a professional medical 
organization already in place without the government spending a single centavo, that 
can serve as an extension of the government in regulating the medical profession, 
maintaining the high standards and the ethical conduct of the medical profession and 
help in the continued delivery of quality health care. 
It is an established fact that the negligent acts of some doctors have led to a 
spate of incidents wherein patients either died, were maimed, scarred or suffered 
physical injuries. 
In cases of malpractice in the medical profession, this proposed 
measure seeks to provide the patient with the option to file a case in the duly constituted 
integrated Professional Medical Organization. An aggrieved patient may now seek for 
the revocation of the membership of the doctor from the integrated professional medical 
organization. 
In view of the foregoing, the early passage of this law is earnestly so:u,ig .. 
ht __ 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
2136 
S.No. __ _ 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
AN ACT 
ESTAlilUSIHIIN(; 
AN 
INTEGRATED 
MEDICAl. 
~~!mfESSH:n\lJ~L 
OIUliANIl,A'nON til'll TIHIE PHILIPPINES AND fOR (nIHIIER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 
1. 
Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Integrated 
Medical Professional Organization Act of 2010". 
SEC. 2. 
Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the 
right to health and ensure the high standard in the practice of the medical profession in 
the country in order to promote the universal call of "Health For All", In this light, the 
State shall institutionalize an Integrated Medical Professional Organization which shall 
be established to promote the common goal of acquiring the highest levels of medical 
knowledge and skills through continuing education and research, and to promote the 
healing ministrations of the physician in the delivery of quality health care of patients. 
Towards this end, the State shall provide the mechanisms to maintain, update, 
and improve the scientific knowledge, technical skill, competence, and patient 
relationship of every physician practicing in the Philippines thereby upgrading the 
profession, with the purpose of better health care delivery to our people, 
SEC. 3. 
Establishment 
of 
an 
Integrated 
Medical 
Professional 
Organization. - There is hereby established an Integrated Medical Professional 
organization in the Philippines, constituted into a body corporate, by the name, style and 
title of "Philippine Medical Association (PMA)," with principal office in the Metro Manila 
area. 
1 


SEC. 4. 
Purpose and Objectives. - The Integrated Medical Professional 
Organization in the Philippines shall be instituted to serve the following objectives and 
purposes, namely: 
a) 
to elevate the standards of health service delivery in the medical 
profession in the country; 
b) 
to promote the implementation of the Generics law for the benefit of the 
poor patients in the country; 
c) 
to improve the administration of medicine and enable the health providers 
to discharge their responsibilities effectively; 
d) 
to foster and maintain high ideals of integrity, learning, professional 
competence, medical practice and conduct in the practice of the medical 
profession; 
e) 
to provide forum and avenue for discussion of medicine, new medical 
techniques and equipments, prevention and cure of ·diseases, and the 
relation of its members to the general public; 
f) 
to promote a continuing program of medical research, and disseminate the 
same 
through 
information, 
education 
and 
communication 
(lEC) 
campaigns; 
g) 
to bring together and unite the entire medical profession of the Philippines; 
h) 
to extend medical knowledge and advance medical science; 
i) 
to serve as an authoritative source of information regarding health, 
disease and medical practice; and 
j) 
to promote the practice of medicine in the context of Philippine life and 
culture. 
SEC. 5. 
Powers and Functions. - The Philippine Medical Association shall 
have perpetual succession and shall have all legal powers appertaining to a juridical 
person, particularly the following power: 
a) 
to sue and be sued; 
b) 
to contract and be contracted with; 
c) 
to hold real and personal property as may be necessary for corporate 
purposes; 
d) 
, to mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, convey and otherwise dispose of the 
same; 
e) . 
to solicit and receive public and private donations and contributions; 
f) 
to accept and receive real and personal property by.· gift, devise or 
bequest; 
2 


g) 
to levy and collect membership dues and special assessments from its 
members; 
h) 
to adopt a seal and to alter the same at pleasure; 
i) 
to have offices and conduct its affairs in the Metro Manila area and 
elsewhere; 
j) 
to make and adopt by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with the 
laws of the Philippines; and 
k) 
to do all such acts and things as may be necessary or proper to carry into 
effect and promote the purposes for which it was organized. 
The seal and emblem of the Philippine Medical Association shall be kept in its 
national office. 
SEC. 6. 
Membership. - All physicians duly registered by the Professional 
Regulation Commission (PRC) shall become members of the Philippine Medical 
Association (PMA). 
Membership in good standing of the PMA shall be a condition 
prElcedent for his/her renewal of license and for the continuous practice of medicine. 
Every member who has paid all membership dues and all authorized special 
assessments, and who is not under suspension from the practice of the medical 
, 
profession or from membership privileges, is a member of good standing. Membership 
in the Philippine Medical Association shall be coursed through the component societies. 
Admission of new members to the PMA shall be in accordance with the following 
procedure: 
1) 
Application in writing to a component medical society, with an 
accompanying personal data sheet of applicant; 
2) 
Acceptance of application by the ccimponent medical society; 
3) 
Payment of component and PMA dues; 
4) 
Endorsement of application and transmittal of dues by the component 
society to the PMA; 
5) 
Notification of acceptance of applicant's membership sent to the 
component society and to the applicant by the PMA Secretariat; and 
6) 
Inclusion of the new member in the official roster of PMA members. 
SEC. 7. 
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. 
3 


SEC. 8. 
Board of Governors . • There is hereby established a Board of 
Governors of the PMA which shall exercise the corporate powers of the Association. It 
shall be composed of the President, the Vice-President, the National Treasurer, and 
one Governor for each of the regions of the Association who shall be elected by the 
entire membership. The Secretary-General of the PMA shall be a non-voting member 
of the Board. 
Additional officers may be appointed by the Board of Governors upon the 
recommendation of the President, but shall not have the right to vote. 
SEC. 9. 
Tenure of Office . . A Governor shall hold office for a term of one 
(1) year or until his/her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or 
appointed by the Board of Governors. He/She may be re-elected to the same office in 
the Board for not more than once. 
SEC. 10. 
Removal from Office . . The officers and members of the Board 
may be removed from the office for culpable violation of its By-Laws by a two-thirds vote 
of the Board in two (2) successive meetings and duly ratified by the General Assembly. 
SEC. 11. 
Functions of the Board of Governors . • The Board of Governors 
shall have the following functions: 
a) 
To approve the program of activities of the PMA; 
b) 
To confirm the appointments made by the President, as provided for in its 
By-Laws; 
c) 
To fill vacancies in the Board: Provided, That the nominees or appointees 
shall be from the same regions as those of the members to be replaced: 
Provided, further, That the replacements occupy the positions only for the 
remainder of the unexpired term; 
d) 
To appoint a Committee to undertake the preparation of the Annual 
General Membership Assembly; 
e) 
,To approve the proposed annual budget of the PMA and to present the 
same to the General Assembly; and 
f) 
. 
To amend, alter, or change the rules and codes of the PMA, as provided 
for under this Act. 
SEC. 12. 
General Assembly. . The General Assembly of the PMA shall 
discharge the powers and functions of the members of the Association in all instances 
where the vote, action, or ratification by the members may be exercised by a 
representative body, as provided for by law. 
4 


SEC. 13. 
Composition of the General Assembly. - The general Assembly 
shall be composed of the officers and members of the Board of Governors and the 
representatives of component medical societies and one (1) representative each for the 
specialty divisions. 
SEC. 14. 
Date of General Assembly. - The General Assembly shall 
convene on any day during the annual convention, which shall be held in the month of 
May of each year. 
SEC. 15. 
Functions of the General Assembly. - The functions of the 
General Assembly are the following: 
a) 
To ratify amendments to its Constitution and its By-Laws, as approved by 
a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board and ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote 
of the majority of the general membership of the Association; 
b) 
'To review and ratify the proposed annual budget of the PMA, as 
recommended by the Board; 
c) 
To review the acts and ratify the resolutions of the national officers and the 
Board; 
d) 
To decide on the site and the dates of the succeeding convention; and 
e) 
To act as representative body of the Association. 
SEC. 16. 
Quorum. - The presence of a majority of the members of the 
General Assembly shall constitute a quorum. 
SEC. 17. 
Plenary Sessions. - The Annual Convention of the PMA shall 
include plenary sessions on matters of general interest to the membership, as well as 
scientific sessions for professional growth. Members shall be enjoined to attend the 
convention as well as the plenary and scientific sessions. 
SEC. 18. 
Sources of Funds. -
The funds of the Philippine Medical 
Association shall be derived from dues and assessments, donations, bequests, 
contributions of members, affiliation fees, as well as income from conventions, 
investments and projects of the PMA, and income-generating facilities of the 
Association. 
The funds of the PMA shall be deposited in banks as designated by the board 
from time to time, or may be invested as approved by the Board. 
SEC. 19. 
Non-Political Nature. - The PMA is strictly non-political, and every 
5 


activity tending to impair this basic feature is strictly prohibited and shall be penalized 
accordingly. No medical practitioner holding an elective or appointed position in the 
Government or any political subdivision or instrumentality thereof shall be eligible for 
election or appointment to any position in the PMA or any chapter thereof. 
SEC. 20. 
Positions Honorary. - Except as maybe specially authorized by 
existing laws, no national or local officer shall receive any compensation, allowance, or 
emolument from the funds of the PMA for any services rendered therein, or be entitled 
to reimbursement for any expense incurred in the discharge of his/her functions. 
SEC. 21. 
Chapters. - A chapter of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) 
shall be organized in every province, within two (2) years upon the effectivity of this Act. 
The Board shall coordinate and supervise the activities of all Chapters for 
purposes of promoting maximum doctor participation. 
SEC. 22. 
Establishment of a Code for Continuing Medical Education. - It 
shall be the inherent responsibility of the Philippine Medical Association, as the 
integrated medical professional organization of physicians, to make continuing medical 
education available to its members of the medical profession. 
As such, within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of the Implementing Rules 
and Regulations (IRR) of this Act, the PMA shall formulate a Code for Continuing 
Medical Education (CME) which shall be founded on the principle that the practice of 
medicine is a lifelong study and that the physician owes it to himself/herself and to 
his/her patients to continue studying Medicine during his/her entire professional life. 
This requirement is founded on the fact that medicine is a changing science. Therefore, 
the physiciah has the obligation to update his/her knowledge and practice so that 
he/she can' provide medical service .and care current to the times and consonant with 
his/her type of practice and the community he/she serves. 
The CME shall include group activities such as: scientific session, assemblies, 
postgraduate courses, workshops, symposia, panel discussions, poster sessions, 
medico-legal presentations, wet clinics, symposia and others as may be determined by 
PMA. 
For individual learning effort, the CME shall include: distant study courses, 
reading of medical journals, research reports and other scientific literature with 
accomplishment of required questionnaire, audio-visual lectures and others as may 
determined by the PMA. 
For this purpose, the PMA shall grant individual accreditation to lecturers and 
researchers and others who have taken part in the delivery of Continuing Medical 
6 


Education services, as provided for under this Act. 
In order to enable PMA members to fulfill their obligations under the Continuing 
Medical Education program, as provided for in this Act, and at the same time comply 
with the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) requirements on Continuing 
Professional Education (CPE)for physicians, the PMA shall adopt a valuation of CPE 
units given each of the CPE activities and the valuation of individual Government CPE 
credit earnings as PMA Continuing Medical Education (CME) units accredited and 
earned under this Act. 
SEC. 23. 
Complaints. • The Philippine Medical Association shall hear 
complaints against its members. The Philippine Medical Association shall prescribe its 
rules and regulations 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. 24. 
Grounds . • A person may file a verified complaint before the 
Philippine Medical Association against a PMA member based on the following grounds: 
a) 
gross negligence, ignorance or incompetence in the practice of his/her 
profession resulting in death or physical injury to a person; 
b) 
conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction of any criminal offense 
involving moral turpitude; 
c) 
insanity; 
d) 
fraud in the acquisition of the certificate of registration, and professional 
license or renewal thereof; 
e) 
addiction to alcoholic beverages or to any habit-forming drug rendering 
him/her incompetent to practice his/her profession; 
f) 
extravagant or unethical advertisement; 
g) 
performing or aiding in any criminal abortion; 
h) 
knowingly issuing any false medical certificate; 
i) 
aiding or acting as a dummy of unqualified or unregistered person to 
practice medicine; and 
j) 
violation of the Code of Ethics of the PMA 
SEC. 25. 
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 have been decided 
with finality. ' 
7 


SEC. 26. 
Oversight Powers of the Department of Health. 
-
The 
Department of Health (DOH) shall have oversight powers as to the implementation of 
the provisions of this Act and the conduct of the Philippine Medical Association in the 
performance of its functions, as provided under this Act. 
SEC. 27. 
Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR). - The Department of 
Health, in consultation with the Philippine Medical Association, shall promUlgate the 
implementing rules and regulations of this Act within 90 days after its enactment. 
SEC. 28. 
Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations or parts thereof not consistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 29. 
Separability Clause. -If any provision or part of this Act, or the 
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid, the 
remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby. 
SEC. 30. 
Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
from the date of its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) 
national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
8