Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL no,_9608

Introduced by Hon. Eufranio “Franny” C. Eriguel, M.D.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Health care is a workforce-driven industry and human resources are the
most important component of health care provision. A qualified health
workforce valuably contributes to the delivery of healthcare services.
Therefore, Human Resources for Health (HRH) are considered as the life
force and drivers of the health system.

While the Philippines is considered as a major source of local and foreign
health professionals, DOH data show that standard health professional to
population ratios are not being met in rural areas. Global reports point out
that health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be
achieved without adequate and appropriate health workforce.

Philippine problems on human resources for health (HRH) stem from:
weaknesses in HRH production; limited capacity for rural employment
where HRH need is greatest; ineffective retention schemes; and,
uncoordinated interventions for capability development. On the other
hand, opportunities for foreign employment have continually been
attractive to Filipino human resources for health.

The imbalance in the HRH skill mix is mainly socio-economic in nature.
Whilst more medical specialists cater to the international market and
upper class societies, there are fewer primary health care practitioners
available for majority of the country’s population. There is high degree of
migration to countries with lower burden of disease while most source
countries, as the Philippines, face the risk of HRH shortage. All of these
inconsistencies pose major constraints to the achievement of Health for
ALL.


Addressing these issues require a coordinated approach among
government agencies and relevant stakeholders. There is a need to
integrate HRH planning to unify policies and standards on production and
deployment of various health professions, strengthen health workforce
regulatory functions, and manage HRH in a way that is responsive to the
Philippine health system needs and design.

In 2006, the Department of Health (DOH) spearheaded the creation of the
HRH Network which is composed of multi-sectoral government and non-
government offices that have mandates relevant to HRH management
and development. The HRH Network integrates agency efforts to
harmonize HRH policy directions.

In the seven years of its existence (2006-2013), the network has
efficiently undertaken policy development, adoption and implementation
geared towards migration management, salary standardization, protection
and welfare of workers, competency-based licensure, and reintegration
from foreign employment. However, continued concerted efforts are
needed to pursue the harmonization of policy directions and interventions.

The institutionalization of the Network is recommended to ensure its
maintenance and continued functioning until it has substantially, if not
completely, attained its objectives.

_—

HON. EUFRANIO ‘Franny” C. ERIGUEL, M.D.

V


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.. 5608

Introduced by Hon. Eufranio “Franny” C. Eriguel, M.D.

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE HUMAN RESOURCES FOR
HEALTH NETWORK PHILIPPINES

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

ARTICLE I

SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the "Human
Resources for Health Network Philippines Act."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - The Philippine Constitution of 1987
declares that the State shall undertake health manpower development
that will be responsive to the health needs of the population.

Towards this end, the State shall institutionalize and maintain an
inter-agency coordinating body for the development and management of
human resources for health in the country that will:

a) Ensure that the education and training of the Human Resources
for Health (HRH) is linked to the health system needs;

b) Ensure that HRH are well-motivated and effectively contribute to
the health system;

c) Ensure that the principles of ethical recruitment of international
health personnel are practiced through managed migration;

d) Engage in national and international partnerships and networks
for the management and development of HRH; and

e) Ensure that HRH planning, and policy monitoring and
development are coordinated across different agencies.


SEC. 3. Definition of Terms - For purposes of this Act, the following
terms shall be defined as follows:

1, Health Human Resource Development Bureau (HHRDB) ~ shall refer
to the Bureau created by virtue of Executive Order102 s. 1999
“Redirecting the Functions and Operations of the Department of
Health”, The Bureau is mandated to ensure the training and
development of the health human resource at all levels of the health
care system.

2. Human Resources for Health (HRH) - shall refer to health care
professionals and health care workers. As defined by the World
Health Organization, this term pertains to "people whose job it is to
protect and improve the health of their communities".

3. HRH Development - shall refer to HRH activities covering education,
training, and capacity building.

4, HRH Management - shall refer to a wide range of HRH activities
encompassing planning, financing, production, monitoring,
information systems management, and evaluation.

5. HRH Network Philippines - shall refer to a multi-sectoral body
composed of different government and non-government offices or
bureaus that aims to address and respond to HRH Issues, problems
and challenges in the country.

6. HRH Master Plan - shall refer to a long term plan that guides the

health sector in proper planning, development, management and

effective utilization of Philippine HRH.

7. Integrated database system for HRH - shall refer to an integrated
system that captures, processes, stores and reports vital
information on HRH production, utilization, deployment, migration,
re-entry and retirement at the national level.

ARTICLE II
The HRH Network Philippines

SEC. 4. Institutionalization of the HRH Network Philippines - The
HRH Network Philippines, hereinafter referred to as the Network, initiated
through a Memorandum of Understanding in October 25, 2006 among
multi-sectoral agencies (accredited professional organizations, academic
institutions, government and non-government offices) that have
mandates on HRH production, retention, migration, and reintegration, is
hereby institutionalized, and shall be recognized as the central
coordinating body responsible for providing technical advisory on HRH
development and management in the Philippines. This inter-agency


advisory and coordinating body shall be supervised directly by the office
of the Director of the DOH - HHRDB.

SEC. 5. Objectives of the HRH Network Philippines - The Network
aims to harmonize the policies and coordinate the action of different
agencies, accredited professional organizations, academic institutions,
and non-government organizations in the production, welfare, and
development of HRH to deliver quality health care to the Filipinos by:

a) Facilitating the implementation and operationalization of the HRH
Master Plan (HRHMP)

b) Providing policy directions that would address and respond to current
and emerging issues and challenges of HRH

c) Contributing data and information to develop and maintain the
Integrated Database for HRH

d) Coordinating HRH planning, and policy monitoring and development
across different agencies.

) Advocating for HRH development and management policies and
programs across the various sectors

SEC. 6. Composition and Membership of the Network - The Network
shall be composed of three (3) Technical Working Committees (TWCs),
and the HHRDB Director and staff who shall serve, on a concurrent basis,
as the Network’s Executive Director and Secretariat respectively.

Membership to the Network shall consist of representatives from the
following government agencies, non-government organizations, academic
institutions, and professional organizations:

1) Department of Health (DOH);

2) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);

3) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);

4) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);

5) Department of Budget and Management (DBM);

6) Department of Finance (DOF);

7) National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA);

8) Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA);

9) Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA);

10) Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO);

11) Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI);

12) Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA);

13) Commission on Higher Education (CHED);

14) Professional Regulation Commission (PRC);

15) Civil Service Commission (CSC);

16) University of the Philippines, Manila or his representative;

17) Two (2) representatives from health professional
organizations;

18) Two (2) representatives from health professional academic
associations;


19) One (1) representative from trade union or civil society
organization involved in HRH issues,

SEC. 7. Composition and Functions of the Network’s Technical
Working Committees - The Network's Technical Working Committees
(TWC) shall be aligned with the following themes: HRH Entry, HRH
Workforce, and HRH Exit and Re-entry.

The Network’s Technical Working Committees shall be composed of
a permanent and an alternate representative with a rank not lower than a
division chief from each member agency.

Each TWC shall prioritize and address matters concerning the
planning, education and recruitment of HRH (TWC on Entry); the
supervision, compensation, systems support and lifelong learning of HRH
(TWC on Workforce); and career choice, migration, retirement, and
reintegration of HRH into the Philippine healthcare system (TWC on Exit
and Re-entry). The TWCs shall draft policy recommendations and/or
develop programs in response to the identified or prioritized HRH issues.

SEC. 8. The HRH Network Executive Director - The Executive
Director shall be responsible for overseeing the coordination and the
implementation of programs and projects and shall, in pursuit thereof,
exercise oversight functions over the Network.

Specifically, the Network Executive Director shall:

a) Act as the lead convener of the HRH Network Philippines;

b) Translate policy directions from the HRH Network Philippines into
operational strategies;

c) Oversee the implementation of the HRH Master Plan;

d) Create and/or remove committees as the need arises;

SEC. 9. The Network Secretariat - The Secretariat, as appointed by
the HHRDB Director, shall act as the convening body of the Network and
shall perform functions such as, but not limited to the following:
facilitation of multi-sectoral meetings, consolidation of reports and policy
agenda of Network, management of important database and logistics,
management of HRH researches, and coordination of capacity-building
activities of TWC members.

SEC. 10. Development and Maintenance of an Integrated Database
of HRH - The Network shall develop and maintain an integrated database
containing relevant HRH information to be used for evidence-based
planning and policy making. As such, all concerned government agencies
are mandated to provide the Network the necessary information from
their databases and to update such data on a regular basis.

SEC. 11. National HRH Network Policy Forum - The National HRH
Policy Forum shall be conducted annually to serve as a venue for the
presentation of policy directions, initiatives, and accomplishments for


HRH. It also serves as an advocacy mechanism to promote HRH
development in the country.

SEC, 12, HRH Network Philippines Capability Building Activities -
The Network shall conduct trainings, seminars and workshops such as,
but not limited to policy development and HRH management.

ARTICLE III
Final Provisions

SEC. 14. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountabilities - Regular
monitoring and evaluation shall be done by the Executive Director,
through the Secretariat, to determine the accountabilities of the HRH
Network Philippines to contributing agencies. The specifics/details of
monitoring, evaluation, accountabilities and annual reporting shall be
provided for in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of this Act.

SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations - The Department of
Health shall spearhead the drafting and finalization of the implementing
rules and regulations of this Act within a year after the effectivity hereof.

SEC. 16. Separability Clause - If any provision or part hereof, is
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision
not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 17. Repealing Clause - Any law, presidential decree or
issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule
or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is
hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 18. Effectivity Clause - This Act shall take effect 15 days after
its publication in at least two national newspapers of general circulation.