Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____________ 
Introduced by 
HON. CHRISTOPHERSON “COCO” M. YAP 
AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7305, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
"THE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS" 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Republic Act No. 7305, popularly known as the Magna Carta for Public Health 
Workers, was passed in 1992. It mandates the government to provide health care 
workers in government hospitals and other government healthcare facilities with job 
security, fair compensation, and suitable benefits. It also compels the government to 
invest in education and training for public health personnel and establishes criteria for 
working conditions. 
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital role performed by health and health-
related service providers in other government agencies and instrumentalities, at both the 
national and local levels. They risk their lives to save the lives of others, just as any other 
public health worker would, and continue to do so even after public health protocols 
against the virus have been relaxed. 
This bill proposes to revise the definition of "health worker" in the Magna Carta for 
Public Health Workers, so expanding its coverage to include all government health and 
health-related providers, allowing them to obtain the same protections and benefits as 
workers exposed to the same health dangers and threats in government hospitals and 
other health facilities. 
In addition to strengthening their protection against discrimination, this measure also 
revises the nominal amounts for compulsory benefits, such as the monthly hazard pay 
and laundry allowance, and the daily subsistence allowance, to reflect current economic 
conditions. 
CHRISTOPHERSON “COCO” M. YAP 
Representative, Second District of Southern Leyte 
December 5, 2022
12:29 pm
6489


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____________ 
Introduced by 
HON. CHRISTOPHERSON “COCO” M. YAP 
AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7305, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
"THE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS" 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
1 
“Section 3. Definition. — For purposes of this Act, "health 
2 
workers" shall mean all persons who are engaged in health and 
3 
health-related work, and all persons employed in all hospitals, 
4 
sanitaria, treatment and rehabilitation centers, health centers, rural 
5 
health units, barangay health stations, clinics, HEALTH OFFICES 
6 
and other health-related establishments owned and operated by the 
7 
Government or its political subdivisions with original charters and 
8 
shall include medical, allied health professionals, administrative 
9 
and support personnel employed [regardless of their employment 
10 
status] IN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (NGAs), 
11 
INCLUDING STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES (SUCs), 
12 
GOVERNMENT-OWNED-AND-CONTROLLED 
13 
CORPORATIONS (GOCCs), GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL 
14 
INSTITUTIONS (GFIS) AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS 
15 
(LGUs) HOLDING PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY STATUS, 
16 
CASUAL OR CONTRACTUAL, WHOSE SALARIES ARE 
17 
CHARGED AGAINST PERSONNEL SERVICES (PS) LUMP 
18 
SUM 
APPROPRIATION, 
RENDERING 
SERVICES 
ON 
19 
FULLTIME OR PART TIME BASIS AND WHOSE POSITIONS 
20 
ARE COVERED, OR OTHERWISE BY R.A. 6758, 
21 
6489


"COMPENSATION AND POSITION CLASSIFICATION ACT 
22 
OF 1989", AS AMENDED.” 
23 
SEC.  2. 
Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as 
24 
follows: 
25 
“Section 9. Discrimination Prohibited. — A public health worker 
26 
shall not be discriminated against with regard to [gender, civil 
27 
status, creed, religious or political beliefs and ethnic groupings] 
28 
POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS, SEX, SEXUAL 
29 
ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY, CIVIL STATUS, 
30 
AGE, DISABILITY, OR ETHNICITY in the exercise of his/her 
31 
profession.” 
32 
SEC.  3. 
Section 11 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as 
33 
follows: 
34 
“Section 11. Administrative Charges. — Administrative charges 
35 
against a NATIONAL public health worker shall be heard by a 
36 
committee [composed of the provincial health officer of the 
37 
province where the public health worker belongs, as chairperson, 
38 
a representative of any existing national or provincial public health 
39 
workers' organization or in its absence its local counterpart and a 
40 
supervisor of the district, the last two (2) to be designated by the 
41 
provincial health officer mentioned above. The committee shall 
42 
submit its findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Health 
43 
within thirty (30) days from the termination of the hearings. Where 
44 
the provincial health officer is an interested party, all the members 
45 
of the committee shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health.] 
46 
OR 
OFFICER 
DESIGNATED 
BY 
THE 
DISCIPLINING 
47 
AUTHORITY AND/OR ITS DELEGATED OFFICER OR 
48 
OFFICERS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION, IN ACCORDANCE 
49 


WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER 292, ITS IMPLEMENTING 
50 
RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND OTHER PERTINENT 
51 
CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS. 
52 
FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE PUBLIC CHARGES SHALL 
53 
HEALTH BE WORKERS, HEARD BY A COMMITTEE OR 
54 
OFFICER CREATED/DESIGNATED BY THE PROVINCIAL 
55 
HEALTH BOARD IN CASES WHERE THE ADMINISTRATIVE 
56 
COMPLAINT IS FILED AGAINST A PUBLIC HEALTH 
57 
WORKER STATIONED IN PROVINCES, MUNICIPALITIES 
58 
OR COMPONENT CITIES, OR BY THE CITY HEALTH 
59 
BOARD 
IN 
CASES 
WHERE 
THE 
ADMINISTRATIVE 
60 
COMPLAINT IS FILED AGAINST A PUBLIC HEALTH 
61 
WORKER STATIONED IN HIGHLY- URBANIZED CITIES OR 
62 
INDEPENDENT COMPONENT CITIES, IN ACCORDANCE 
63 
WITH PERTINENT RULES AND REGULATIONS. THE 
64 
COMMITTEE/HEARING OFFICER SHALL SUBMIT SUBMIT 
65 
THE 
RECOMMENDATION 
ΤΟ 
THE 
APPROPRIATE 
66 
DISCIPLINING AUTHORITY WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS 
67 
FROM 
THE 
TERMINATION 
OF 
THE 
68 
INVESTIGATION/HEARINGS.” 
69 
SEC.  4. 
Section 21 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as 
70 
follows: 
71 
“Section 21. Hazard Allowance. — [Public health workers in 
72 
hospitals, sanitaria, rural health units, main health centers, health 
73 
infirmaries, barangay health stations, clinics and other health-
74 
related establishments located in difficult areas, strife torn or 
75 
embattled areas, distressed or isolated stations, prisons camps, 
76 
mental hospitals, radiation exposed clinics, laboratories or disease-
77 
infested areas or in areas declared under state of calamity or 
78 
emergency for the duration thereof which expose them to great 
79 


danger, 
contagion, 
radiation, 
volcanic 
activity/eruption, 
80 
occupational risks or perils to life as determined by the Secretary 
81 
of Health or the Head of the unit with the approval of the Secretary 
82 
of Health, shall be compensated hazard allowances equivalent to 
83 
at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the monthly basic salary of 
84 
health workers receiving salary grade 19 and below, and five 
85 
percent (5%) for health workers with salary grade 20 and above.] 
86 
BY THE NATURE OF THEIR WORK, WHICH SUBJECT 
87 
THEM TO HEALTH HAZARDS AND OCCUPATIONAL 
88 
RISKS, ALL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS REGARDLESS OF 
89 
THE DEGREE OF THEIR EXPOSURE TO SUCH HAZARDS 
90 
AND RISKS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO A MONTHLY 
91 
HAZARD ALLOWANCE OF TEN THOUSAND PESOS (PHP 
92 
10,000.00) WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO INCREASE OF THIS 
93 
AMOUNT AS MAY BE WARRANTED IN THE FUTURE BY 
94 
THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH.” 
95 
SEC.  5. 
Section 22 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as 
96 
follows: 
97 
“Section 22. Subsistence Allowance. — [Public health workers who 
98 
are required to render service within the premises of hospitals, 
99 
sanitaria, health infirmaries, main health centers, rural health units 
100 
and barangay health stations, or clinics, and other health related 
101 
establishments in order to make their services available at any and 
102 
all times, shall be entitled to full subsistence allowance of three (3) 
103 
meals which may be computed in accordance with prevailing 
104 
circumstances as determined by the Secretary of Health in 
105 
consultation with the Management Health Worker's Consultative 
106 
Councils, as established under Section 33 of this Act: provided, that 
107 
representation and travel allowance shall be given to rural health 
108 
physicians as enjoyed by municipal agriculturists, municipal 
109 
planning and development officers and budget officers.] ALL 
110 


PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO FULL 
111 
SUBSISTENCE 
ALLOWANCE 
EQUIVALENT 
TO 
ONE 
112 
HUNDRED 
FIFTY 
PESOS 
(P150.00) 
PER 
DAY 
FOR 
113 
RENDERING ACTUAL SERVICES WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO 
114 
INCREASE OF THIS AMOUNT AS MAY BE WARRANTED IN 
115 
THE FUTURE BY THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH.” 
116 
SEC.  6. 
Section 24 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as 
117 
follows: 
118 
“Section 24. Laundry Allowance. — All public health workers who 
119 
are required to wear uniforms regularly shall be entitled to laundry 
120 
allowance equivalent to [One hundred twenty five pesos (P125.00)] 
121 
FIVE HUNDRED PESOS (P500.00) per month without prejudice 
122 
to increase of this amount as may be warranted in the future by the 
123 
Secretary of Health.” 
124 
SEC.  7. 
Section 35 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby amended to read as 
125 
follows: 
126 
“Section 35. Rules and Regulations. — The Secretary of Health 
127 
after consultation with appropriate agencies of the Government as 
128 
well as ACCREDITED professional and health workers' 
129 
organizations or unions, shall formulate and prepare the necessary 
130 
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act [. 
131 
Rules and regulations issued pursuant to this Section], WHICH 
132 
shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication in a newspaper 
133 
of general circulation.” 
134 
SEC.  8. 
Section 38 of Republic Act No. 7305 is hereby repealed and a new 
135 
Sections 38 shall be inserted as follows: 
136 
“SEC. 
38. 
APPROPRIATIONS. 
— 
THE 
AMOUNTS 
137 
NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT 
138 
SHALL BE CHARGED AGAINST THE CURRENT YEAR 
139 


AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE 
140 
AGENCIES. THEREAFTER, THE AMOUNT NECESSARY 
141 
FOR ITS CONTINUOUS IMPLEMENTATION SHALL BE 
142 
INCLUDED 
IN 
THE 
ANNUAL 
GENERAL 
143 
APPROPRIATIONS.” 
144 
SEC.  9. 
If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the remainder of this 
145 
Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
146 
effect. 
147 
SEC.  10. 
All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, and their 
148 
implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
149 
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
150 
SEC.  11. 
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
151 
the Official Gazette and in a newspaper of general circulation. 
152 
Approved, 
153