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Republic of the Philippines ~ RECE IVER nk
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TATE: AUG 0 7 208%

Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS,
Second Regular Session

7323

House Bill No. _‘*“

Introduced by the Honorable Precious Hipolito Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The world is currently facing the defining health crisis of our time — the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been difficult to fight this war, in which the enemy is a virus that has taken the lives of
many people around the world already. Current statistics show that there is no stopping this
virus from spreading until a vaccine is discovered and developed for mass distribution.

‘At the forefront of this war are the health workers who are putting themselves in harm's way
to safeguard public health. The physical, psychological and emotional toll brought about by
this pandemic to the health workers cannot be compensated enough.

Health workers not only experience workplace stress. To most of them, even their daily
commute to their respective workplaces is a problem. Community quarantine restrictions
throughout the country had substantially decreased the availability of different modes of
transportation that can ferry them to and from their workplaces.

Thus, it is the intent of this bill to mandate the provision of free transportation through shuttle
servicing for all health workers employed in all public and private hospitals.

The immediate passage of this bill is most earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7323

House Bill No.

Introduced by the Honorable Precious Hipolito Castelo

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR FREE TRANSPORTATION TO ALL HEALTH WORKERS DURING THE
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Free Transportation to
Health Workers Act of 2020".

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State shall adopt an integrated and
comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential
goods, health and other social services available to all at affordable cost. Towards this end,
the State shall implement policies which will alleviate the burden of its citizens, especially the
health workers, due to the economic and public health consequences brought about by the
COVID-19 pandemic.

SEC. 3. Free Transportation Services to Medical Frontliners and Practitioners. — Free
shuttle services to and from the workplace shall be provided by all public and private hospitals
to all health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEC. 4. Health Workers. — For purposes of Section 3, the term “health workers” means
all persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons employed in
all hospitals, public or private, and shall include medical, allied health professional,
administrative and support personnel employed regardless of their employment status.

SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within thirty (30) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Transportation (DOT?), in coordination with the
Department of Health (DOH), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to
effectively implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 6. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the effective implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Transportation under
the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for its
continued implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 7. 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. 8. 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. 9. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,