Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  
Introduced by Representative Divina Grace C. Yu 
1st District, Zamboanga del Sur 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
When the World Health Organization declared the COVID- 19 outbreak a global health 
emergency, the status of our health care system is under scrutiny. The increasing number 
of cases daily has impacted our health care workers physically and psychologically as they 
are required to work long hours and under stressful conditions. 
The adequate numbers of health workers will be a big factor to help us combat COVID-19 
disease or any other pandemic that will strike our country. There is a need to boost or 
capacitate our health care professionals by a strong support system. 
This bill seeks to establish a Medical Reserve Corps which shall be composed of all persons 
who have degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other health- 
related fields but have yet to have the respective licenses to practice. The members of the 
Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon and mobilized to assist the national government 
and the local government units in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of 
the public in times of national emergencies. 
This bill further seeks to uphold the role of medical and health- related personnel in nation- 
building, promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-
being; to inculcate in them patriotism and nationalism; and to encourage their involvement 
in public and civic affairs. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
        DIVINA GRACE C. YU 
July 5, 2022
3:50 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 
Introduced by Representative Divina Grace C. Yu 
1st District, Zamboanga del Sur  
AN ACT INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVES CORPS, APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1.   Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Medical Reserve Corps Act of 2022" 
Section 2.  Statement Of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State:  
a. To institutionalize the vital role of medical and health-related personnel in nation- 
building, promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social
well-being; to inculcate in them patriotism and nationalism; and to encourage their
involvement in public and civic affairs; and
b. To train, equip and organize medical and health-related personnel, within the
current frameworks of national and territorial defense, law enforcement and peace
and order and national disaster risk reduction and management, to prepare them for
rapid mobilization at the soonest possible time in order to address national and/or
local contingencies which may require manpower beyond the capabilities of existing
national government agencies or local government units.
Section 3.  Medical Reserve Corps. - There is hereby established a Medical Reserve Corps 
which shall be composed of all persons who have degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, 
medical technology, and other health-related fields but have yet to have their respective 
licenses to practice for reasons such as but not limited to not having taken and/or passed 
the licensure examinations in their respective professions. 
Section 4.  Medical Reserve Corps Mobilization. — In times of national emergencies and 
other contingencies, the members of the Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon and 
mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and the 
local government units in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of the 
public. 
The mobilization shall be initiated by the Secretary of Department of Health (DOH), 
in coordination with the Secretaries of the Department of National Defense (DND), the 
Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of Interior and Local Government 
(DILG), or their duly authorized representatives with a rank of at least Undersecretary. 
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From time to time as manpower and training resources may allow during the period of 
national emergencies and other contingencies, the Medical Reserve Corps may be called for 
retraining to maintain and enhance its level of competency and readiness for mobilization. 
 
Section 5.  Annual Reports. - The DOH shall regularly publish an annual report containing 
a list of its accomplishments, status of its operations, number and demography of the 
Medical Reserve Corps, assessment of readiness for mobilization and the incidence and 
details of each mobilization for the year concerned. The annual report shall also include the 
results of the audit investigation on the spending of funds appropriated, collected or 
advanced for the implementation of the provisions of this Act. 
 
Section 6.  Requests for Deployment - The Medical Reserve Corps may be called 
instrumentalities, and the local government units in their functions related to addressing 
the medical needs of the public through requests for deployment by the heads of such 
national government agencies or local government units submitted to the DOH. The 
requests shall contain a justification for the deployment of the Corps and shall contain 
information as may be required by the DOH, including the nature of the national or local 
contingencies to be addressed, the purpose of the requested deployment, the number of 
personnel requested to be deployed and the period of deployment. 
 
Section 7.  Evaluation of the Requests for Deployment - The DOH shall evaluate the 
requests for deployment. When the number of personnel requested does not exceed one 
hundred and fifty (15o) and the period of deployment does not exceed sixty (6o) days, the 
DOH shall decide whether to approve or disapprove the request within twenty-four (24) 
hours from receipt thereof. When the number of personnel requested exceeds one hundred 
and fifty (150) or the period of deployment exceeds sixty (6o) days, the DOH shall make a 
recommendation to the Office of the President (OP) within twenty-four (24) hours from 
receipt of the request. The OP shall decide whether to approve or disapprove the request 
within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the recommendation of the DOH. 
In case of the approval of the request for deployment, the DOH shall issue an Order 
of Deployment requiring the Corps, or a number thereof, to assist the national government, 
its agencies and instrumentalities and the local government units in their functions related 
to addressing the health-related needs of the public. 
 
Section 8.   Deployment in Case of a Declaration of a State of War, State of Lawless 
Violence or State of Calamity; Nationwide Mobilization. - In case of a declaration of a State 
of War, State of Lawless Violence or State of Calamity, the DOH may motu proprio 
recommend the mobilization of the Corps to the President of the Philippines. The President 
of the Philippines, by himself, shall also have the power to order the mobilization of the 
Corps to respond to national or local contingencies related to external and territorial 
defense, internal security and peace and order and/or disaster risk reduction management. 
 
Section 9.   Mobilization Centers. - There shall be established in each province and city as 
many mobilization centers as needed according to the number and geographical 
distribution of the Corps, where they will report in case of deployment. 
In case of mobilization, the equipment of the Corps shall be supplied in close 
coordination with the DOH and other national agencies and offices, with the end in view of 
achieving rapid mobilization. 
 
Section 10.  Expense of Deployment - Upon deployment, the national government agency, 
or the local government unit to which the Corps is deployed shall shoulder the operational 
expenses of deployment. 


 
Section 11. Operationalization of Deployment - The DOH shall promulgate the specific 
mechanisms by which deployment is efficiently implemented, including the organization of 
the Corps to be deployed, their territorial assignments, how deployment orders are 
communicated to each member of the Corps and to which mobilization center they will 
report. 
 
Section 12.  Serial Numbers and Registry. - Upon completion of their respective degrees, 
the graduates shall be issued individual serial numbers, which will serve as their 
identification in case of deployment. 
The DOH shall maintain and update a registry/database containing the names of the 
members of the Corps, their serial numbers, address, contact details and such other 
information as the DOH may determine, in accordance with any applicable privacy laws. 
For this purpose, all public and private colleges, universities and learning institutions are 
hereby mandated to annually transmit their records of the graduates covered under this Act 
to the DOH, in the form as may be determined by the DOH. 
All graduates covered under this Act are required to update their addresses and 
contact details on file with the DOH as often as necessary. Orders of deployment sent to the 
addresses and/or through the contact details on file with the DOH shall be sufficient notice 
for purposes of deployment. 
  
Section 13.  Termination Of Deployment - Upon the expiration of the requested period of 
deployment, without an extension having been requested and approved by the DOH, the 
Corps shall be discharged of its duties. The deployment may also be terminated earlier upon 
a determination by the DOH, in consultation with the requesting national government 
agency or local government unit, that such deployment is no longer in accordance with the 
objectives and purposes of this Act. 
 
Section 14. Effect on Employment - Deployment of employees in accordance with the 
provisions of this Act shall not be a ground for dismissal or diminution of any benefit 
enjoyed by such graduates prior to their deployment. The members of the Corps shall be 
entitled to their regular wage or salary during the period of their deployment. 
 
Section 15.  Medical Reserve Corps Fund. - A Medical Reserve Corps Fund is hereby 
established exclusively for the implementation of the objectives and purposes of this Act. 
The Office of the President shall monitor and evaluate the activities and the balances of the 
Fund. 
 
Section 16.  School Fees. - Public colleges, universities and similar learning institutions 
covered by Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the “Universal Access to Quality 
Tertiary Education Act”, shall not collect any fee from the members of the Medical Reserve 
Corps in addition to the normal fees and charges pertinent to their education and training 
in said colleges, universities and other similar institutions. 
 
Section 17.  Appropriations. - The Medical Reserve Corps Fund shall be included in the 
Annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
Section 18.  Audit of Funds. - Audit of any and all funds used through the implementation 
of this Act shall be in accordance with the audit jurisdiction of the Commission on Audit, 


the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Department of Health, under existing laws and 
regulations. 
 
Section 19.  Penal Provisions: Failure to Respond. – 
a. Failure to respond to the order of deployment despite notice sent to the address 
and/or contact details on file with the DOH without any justifiable reason shall, upon 
conviction by a civil court, be punishable as follows: 
 
1) First Offense: One hundred and twenty (120) hours of community service; 
 
2) Second Offense: Two hundred and four (240) hours of community service; 
and 
 
3) Third and Subsequent Offenses: Six (6) months imprisonment and four 
hundred and eight (48o) hours of community service. 
 
Section 20.  Disciplinary and Corrective Proceedings. - Administrative offenses committed 
by persons involved in or in relation to the implementation of this Act, shall be subject to 
administrative penalties in accordance with the applicable civil service rules or the rules and 
regulations of the Professional Regulation Commission, as the case may be. 
 
Section 21. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - The DOH shall be tasked to 
formulate and approve the necessary rules and regulations to Implement the objectives and 
purposes of this Act within thirty (30) days from its effectivity. The rules and regulations 
shall include provisions on the structure and organization of the Corps, the specific 
mechanisms for the efficient mobilization and deployment of the Corps, and such other 
matters as the DOH may deem necessary or essential to fully Implement the objectives and 
purposes of this Act. 
 
Section 22. Repealing Clause. All laws, orders, rules regulations and other issuances, or 
parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or 
modified accordingly. 
 
Section 23.  Separability Clause. Any provision of this Act declared unconstitutional shall 
not affect the validity of the other provisions thereof. 
 
Section 24. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) newspapers of national circulation. 
 
Approved,