Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTHCONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No._____ 
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
One of the alarming statistics that our country has is its doctor to patient 
ratio which is 1:33,000.  The very wide disparity between number of doctors and 
patients is very alarming considering that the health care system plays a very vital 
role in our country.  Health care is a universal need that all citizens avail of no 
matter the age, the social class, and the gender. It is even quite unimaginable how 
the situation is in rural areas which clearly needs an immediate action. 
This Bill intends to afford a solution in the current crisis that the country is 
in. In order to strengthen the manpower of health professionals, this Bill shall 
provide a scholarship program to one resident per town in the municipalities in 
the country. Thereafter, said scholars, upon obtaining their licenses to practice 
medicine, are mandated to provide medical service in their respective towns. 
Through this Bill, students who aspire to be doctors but do not have enough 
financial means to pursue a degree in medicine are given a chance to pursue their 
dreams.  Not only does this Bill help the residents in their individual capacities 
but it also provides additional manpower to all towns as scholars in this proposed 
program are mandated to serve in their respective towns.  Eventually, this 
program is expected to influence other medical professionals into serving in rural 
areas thereby bridging the extensive gap between doctors and patients. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this Bill is earnestly sought. 
EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
October 27, 2022
3:41 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTHCONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No._____ 
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
AN ACT PROVIDING MEDICAL SCHOLASHIPS TO 
QUALIFIED STUDENTS IN ALL MUNICIPALITIES 
ESTABLISHING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE ONE TOWN: 
ONE DOCTOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted in the Senate rind the House of Representatives of the Republic of 
the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the "The One Town: 
One Doctor Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby declared policy of the 
State to provide measures in response to the growing imbalance of the doctor-
patient ratio in our country.  At the same time, it is also the policy of the state to 
contribute in the provision of priority measures that can help reduce social and 
economic inequalities. 
For this purpose, the government shall institutiona1ize scholarship 
programs to deserving and qualified individuals in each of the municipalities of 
the country.  Through this, these scholars will be given the opportunity to pursue 
a degree in medicine and thereafter extend and apply their honed skills in their 
own municipalities by integrating them into the public health systems through 
policies and programs initiated by the government. 
SECTION 3. One Town: One Doctor Scholarship Program - It shall be 
the duty of the Department of Health to establish a One Town: One Doctor 
Scholarship Program that will grant to qualified Filipinos who wish to pursue a 
degree in Doctor of Medicine scholarship and financial to aid them in their 
pursuit.  The scholarship shall cover, among others, tuition fee, miscellaneous 
fees, laboratory fees, required textbooks, school supplies and equipment needed 
for the degree, uniforms, traveling expenses, substinence, and living allowances: 
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Provided, that the program will be provided to one student from each of the 
municipalities who is both interested and qualified to avail of the program: 
Provided further, that should none of the residents of the municipality avail or 
qualify in the program, the allotted slot may be assumed by a scholar from another 
town in the same province. Provided, finally, that the scholar who assumes the 
slot of another municipality shall render service in the municipality where the slot 
was assumed. 
 
SECTION 4. Qualifications of Candidates. - All qualified scholars shall 
possess the following qualifications: 
 
a) Must be a bona fide resident of the municipality where the scholar filed an 
application for the program; with the exception to those who shall assume 
the slots of municipalities where no resident qualified for the program; 
 
b) Must belong to the top thirty per centum (30%) of their respective 
graduating classes and must be completing or already completed any of the 
undergraduate prerequisite courses for a degree in medicine; 
 
c) Must have a family or personal income which is insufficient to sustain their 
education in the degree in medicine; 
 
d) The University concerned shall have the discretion to provide for 
additional qualifications it deems necessary for the admission to the 
program. 
 
SECTION 5. Conditions of the scholarship. - In order for the qualified 
scholar to be able to obtain and maintain the scholarship grant, the following 
conditions must be met: 
 
a) The scholar must pass the admission examinations and related 
requirements of the medical school chosen; 
 
b) The scholar shall carry the full load of subjects prescribed per semester by 
the medical school, and shall not, under any circumstances, drop a subject 
which will result in under-loading; 
 
c) The scholar may be allowed, for valid reasons, to defer availing of the 
scholarship and file a leave of absence for a period not exceeding one (1) 
school year; and 
 
d) The scholar shall receive and continue to enjoy the benefits of the 
scholarship until the completion of the course. 


 
SECTION 6. Public Health Service System. - The scholar shall be 
integrated into the public health and medical service system as a medical doctor, 
with the appropriate rank and salary upon passing the medical board examination. 
The service integration to the public service will last for a period of at least four 
(4) years upon graduation: Provided, that the scholar shall undertake post 
graduate internship in a public health or medical institution and such internship 
with salaries allocated shall be part of the mandatory service arid integration into 
the public health and medical service system. Provided, further, that upon 
graduation, the scholar shall be deployed in the scholar’s hometown to achieve 
the program’s goal of having at least one doctor per municipality: Provided, 
finally, that the scholar who assumed the slot of another municipality where no 
resident qualified shall be deployed to the same municipality where the slot was 
assumed. 
 
SECTION 7. Information Dissemination. - The Department of Health 
shall conduct regular information dissemination and recruitment with regard to 
the One Town: One Doctor Scholarship Program to ensure the continuous supply 
of medical scholars to all municipalities in the country. 
 
SECTION 8. Appropriations. - The amounts necessary to effectively 
carry out the initial implementation of this Act shall be obtained from the current 
budget of the Department of Health. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary 
for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the succeeding 
General Appropriations Act 
 
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations - Within sixty (60) 
days from the promulgation of this Act, the implementing rules and regulations 
for the proper implementation of its provisions shall be formulated by the 
appropriate government office or agency in coordination with all the stakeholders 
and covered establishments and institutions. 
 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the validity of the other provisions 
shall not be affected thereby. 
 
SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation. 


 
Approved,