HOUSE QF REPRESENTATIVES

RECEI VIG
Republic of the Philippines DATE: 6 AUG 2016
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE: Thee
Quezon City _ i [Moaw
ve :
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS ~

First Regular Session REGISTRATION UAT
2944 |_BILLS ano innex s=4\nce
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE
There are fake eye doctors who engage in the practice of optometry.

This may very well be a situation occurring in various parts of the country when pseudo-
optometrists go into the practice of optometry without having acquired the appropriate
professional licenses from the Professional Regulation Commission.

This scheme may have been too prevalent when a significant number of optical shops as
those we find in malls do operate as if they were legitimate business establishments even
though only very few of these shops have licensed optometrists. This observation has been
validated by the PRC Board of Optometry.

And yet the use of contract lenses and eyeglasses, since they are medical devices do need
to be prescribed by eye specialists and the term, ‘eye specialists’ refer to PRC-licensed
optometrists.

The improper use of eyeglasses and contact lenses are found to eventually lead to cataract
or glaucoma or other related eye problems if not blindness on the part of the unsuspecting
buyer or user of these medical products.

To give Professional Regulation Commission a shot in the arm, therefore, requires that the
practice of optometry be more closely monitored by PRC which alone can issue professional
licenses and for it to issue agency clearance before optical shops or similar business
establishments shall be issued Mayor's permit or Business License by the concerned Local
Government Unit.

The shortage of optometrists in the country when the governyhent opted to add two more
years to the previous four-year optometry course on the one hnd and proliferation of optical
shops without licensed optometrists may lead to an entirely unhealthy situation of such reach
and scope, hence this bill


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL no 284 1

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

AN ACT
REQUIRING LICENSE AND CLEARANCE FROM PROFESSIONAL REGULATION
COMMISSION FOR THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY AND OPERATION OF OPTICAL
SHOPS, RESPECTIVELY AND THE SAME TO BE STRICTLY ENFORCED BY THE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The Professional Regulation Commission shall hereby require license
for the practice of optometry and issue appropriate clearance for the operation of optical
shops and the same to be strictly enforced by the Local Government Unit concerned.

SEC. 2. The use of contact lenses and/or eyeglasses, since they are medical
devices, should only be as prescribed by an eye specialist in the person of a licensed
optometrist.

SEC. 3. Business establishments involved in the sale of contact lenses or eyeglasses
such as but not limited to optical shops shall likewise be issued agency clearance from the
Professional Regulation Commission before their Mayor's Permit or Business License, as
the case may be, shall be issued by the concerned Local Government Unit.

SEC. 4. All issuances, laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof
not consistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette and in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,