Republic of the Philippines  
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Representative FERDINAND L. HERNANDEZ 
AN ACT  
FURTHER PROMOTING THE GENERAL WELFARE,  AND 
ENHANCING THE STATUTORY BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES,
OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7305,  OTHERWISE 
KNOWN  AS THE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Magna Carta for Public Health Workers was passed into law thirty (30) years ago with 
the objective of promoting and improving the social and economic well-being of health 
workers, their living and working conditions and terms of employment. Hence, the law 
mandated among other things the payment of benefits and allowances including night shift 
differential, hazard, subsistence, laundry, to name a few. 
Sadly, the nominal amounts provided in the 30-year-old law remained fixed despite changing 
economic cycles over the years. To remedy this, we propose in this bill to increase the 
nominal amounts for the mandated benefits, thereby providing better living conditions for our 
public health workers, especially as we navigate the recessionary effects of the pandemic. 
The measure likewise expands the definition of health workers to include those deployed 
outside of traditional health facilities, such as those reporting in health offices, State 
Universities and Colleges, and Universities, Government-Owned and - Controlled 
August 26, 2025
12:32 pm
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Corporations, Local Government Units, among others. This proposal stands to benefit 
roughly 150,000 health workers in the public sector. 
In our pursuit to address the gaps in our public health system and to strengthen the delivery 
of healthcare services, it is paramount that we ensure that our health workers are not only 
paid a living wage but that the benefits we provide are likewise sufficient to sustain their 
living conditions. 
In view of the foregoing, we urge the swift passage of this measure. 
FERDINAND L. HERNANDEZ 


Republic of the Philippines  
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative FERDINAND L. HERNANDEZ 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT  
FURTHER PROMOTING THE GENERAL WELFARE,  AND 
ENHANCING THE STATUTORY BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES,
OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7305,  OTHERWISE 
KNOWN  AS THE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SEC. 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"Section 3. Definition. - For purposes of this Act, "health workers" shall 
mean all persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, and all  
persons  employed  in  all  hospitals,  sanitaria,  treatment  and rehabilitation 
centers, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations,   clinics,   
health  offices,      agencies attached to the Department of Health  and   other   
health-related establishments owned and operated by the Government or its 
political subdivisions with original charters and shall include medical, allied 
health professionals, administrative and support personnel employed 
[regardless of their employment status] in national government agencies 
(NGAs),  including  state  universities and  colleges (SUCs), government-
owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial 
institutions (GFIs) and local government units (LGUs) holding permanent or 
temporary status, casual or contractual, whose salaries are charged against 
personnel  services  (PS)  lump  sum  appropriation, rendering services on 
full time or part time basis and whose positions are covered, or otherwise by 
R. A. 6758, "compensation and position classification act of 1989", as 
amended." 
SEC. 2. Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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“Section. 9. Discrimination Prohibited. - A Public Health Worker (PHW) 
shall not be discriminated against with regard to political or religious 
affiliations, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, civil status, age, 
disability, or ethnicity in the exercise of his or her profession.” 
SEC. 3. Section 11 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“Section. 11. Administrative Charges. - Administrative charges against a 
national public health worker shall be heard by a committee or officer 
designated by the disciplining authority, or its delegated officer, or officers 
under its jurisdiction, in accordance with Executive Order 292, its 
implementing rules and regulations, and other pertinent civil service laws, 
rules and regulations. 
 
For local public health workers, administrative charges shall be heard by a 
committee or officer created or designated by the Provincial or City Health 
Board, in accordance with pertinent rules and regulations. 
 
The committee or hearing officer shall submit recommendation to the 
appropriate disciplining authority within thirty (30) days from the 
termination of the investigation and hearings. 
 
Where the provincial health officer or head of health facilities has been determined to be an 
interested party, the members of the committee or the designated officer shall be appointed by 
the Secretary of Health.” 
SEC. 4. Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“Section 18. Night Shift Differential. - (a) Every public health worker shall 
be paid a night shift differential of twenty percent (20%) of his/her regular 
wage for each hour of work performed during the night-shifts customarily 
adopted by hospitals, sanitaria, treatment and rehabilitation centers, birthing 
clinics and other   health   facilities operating  in  a  24/7  shift  and  during  
calamities, disasters and public health emergencies. (b) Every health worker 
required to work on the period covered after his/her regular schedule shall be 
entitled to his/her regular wage plus the regular overtime rate and an 
additional amount of twenty percent (20%) of such overtime rate for each 
hour of work performed between six (6) o'clock in the evening to six (6) 
o'clock in the morning: provided, that the foregoing rules on night shift 
differential shall be subject to the provisions of R.A. 11701 or an Act 
granting night shift differential pay to government employees including those 
in government-owned  or -controlled corporations and its rules and 
regulations." 
 
SEC. 5. Section 21 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
“Section. 21. Hazard Allowance. - By the nature of their work, which 
subject them to health hazards and occupational risks, all public health 
workers regardless of the degree of their exposure to such hazards and 


risks shall be entitled to a monthly hazard allowance of Twenty Five 
Percent (25%) of their basic monthly salary across the board without 
prejudice to increase of this amount as may be warranted in the future by 
the Secretary of Health.” 
 
 
SEC. 6. Section 22 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
“Section 22. Subsistence Allowance. - All Public Health Workers shall be 
entitled to full subsistence allowance which shall not be less than Three 
Hundred Pesos (PhP 350.00) per day for rendering actual services. 
Provided, that after one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, it shall be 
increased to four Hundred Pesos (PhP 400.00). Provided further, that after 
two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, it shall be increased to Five 
Hundred Pesos (PhP 500.00). Provided finally, that it shall be reviewed 
every three (3) years and may be further increased by the Secretary of 
Health, 
in 
consultation 
with 
the 
Management-Health 
Worker's 
Consultative Councils” 
 
SEC. 7. Section 24 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
“Section. 24. Laundry Allowance. - All Public Health workers who are 
required to wear uniforms regularly shall be entitled to laundry allowance 
equivalent to One Thousand Pesos (Php 1,000.00) per month and shall be 
increased based on the prevailing economic circumstances as may be 
warranted in the future by the Secretary of Health in consultation with the 
Management-Health Workers Consultative Council.” 
 
SEC. 8. Proposed New Section to read as follows: 
   
“Section xxx. Tax Exemption. – the hazard allowance, subsistence 
allowance, and laundry allowance received by covered public health workers 
under this Act, shall be exempt from application of income tax.” 
 
SEC. 9. Section 34 (b) of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
xxx 
 
“b.) opportunity for health workers to grow and develop their potentials 
and experience a sense of worth and dignity in their work. Public health 
workers who undertake relevant post-graduate studies in a degree course 
shall be entitled for an upgrade in position or promotion, or a raise in pay: 
Provided, That it shall not be more often than every two (2) years: 
Provided, further, That upon promotion to a higher position, the public 
health worker shall carry over and retain the step increment in the position 
held before the upgrade in position or promotion, or a raise in pay.” 
 
xxx 
 
SEC. 10. Section 35 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
“Section  35.  Rules and  Regulations.  - The Secretary of Health after 
consultation with appropriate agencies of the government as well as 


accredited professional and health workers' organizations or unions, shall 
formulate and prepare the necessary rules and regulations to implement the 
provisions of this Act which shall take effect thirty (30) days after 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation.” 
 
SEC. 11. Proposed New Section to read as follows: 
 
“Section xxx. Incentives for Length of Service and Post Graduate Degree 
Completion. – there shall be one salary step increment for every post 
graduate degree completion of PHW, provided that the post graduate degree 
is completed during employment as PHW. The one salary step increment 
shall be carried over during transfer and promotion; provided further, that the 
one salary step increment shall not be more often than every two (2) years. 
  
The grant of step increment due to length of service shall be granted in 
addition to the longevity pay of PHW, provided that it shall be based on the 
salary grade allocation of the position in the applicable salary schedule for 
the NGA, GOCC, or LGU concerned.  
  
There shall be no step increment for PHW already at step 8 or the last step of 
the salary schedule for the grant of longevity pay, length of service, and post 
graduate degree completion.” 
  
SEC. 12. Section 36 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
“Section. 36. Periodic Review of the Magna Carta - All provisions with 
monetary implications shall be reviewed by the Council periodically to be 
recommended to the Secretary of Health for approval in consultation with 
the appropriate government agencies concerned under existing laws, rules, 
and regulations. and prevailing practices.” 
 
SEC. 13. Section 38 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby repealed and a new Section 38 shall 
be inserted as follows: 
 
“Section. 38. Budget Estimates. - For National Government Agencies 
(NGAs) including SUCs: 
 
The amounts required for the payment of Magna Carta benefits shall 
be charged against the respective agency’s appropriations or budget. 
The payment Magna Carta benefits of the public health workers in the 
government shall be charged to the appropriations authorized in the General 
Appropriations Act (GAA). Augmentation thereof from any available 
savings of the agency shall be subject to the approval of the DBM. 
 
The Magna Carta benefits for contractual and casual personnel shall be 
charged against the respective agency lump sum appropriations from 
which their salaries or wages are drawn. For GOCCs and GFIs, the amounts 
required shall be charged against their respective corporate funds in the 
approved corporate operating budget.” 
 


SEC. 14. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the 
remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and in effect. 
 
SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, and their 
implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, 
or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 16. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette and in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,