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Republic of the Philippines /
House of Representatives
Queron City, Metro Maile

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. _7157

INTRODUCED BY
REP. ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS, APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippine Medical Association, in 2016, reported that there is a
shortage of doctors in the country, with only 70,000 who are active in the
profession while there are supposedly 130,000 licensed physicians in the
country! Some have actually turned to nursing and work as nurses
overseas. As of April 2020, data shows that there were only ten doctors per
10,000 population in the National Capital Region of the Philippines while
there were only 0.8 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in the Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).?

This scarcity of medical professionals serves as a daunting reminder of
our health services capacity amid threats of outbreaks and public health
crises. With the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continuing to persist in
areas in the country, our medical professionals are challenged to increase
human resources while still maintaining competence in delivering public
health services

This bill seeks to promote the role of medical and health-related
personnel in nation-building, and to encourage their involvement in public
and civic affairs.

' Sandoval, Elma. 2016. “Doctor Shortage in the Philippines”. Mims Today. httos://today.mims.com/doctor-
shortage-in-the-philippines—an-analysis (Accessed 20 July 2020)

? Sanchez, Martha Jean. 2020. “Number of doctors per 10,000 population in the Philippines 2020 per region

hups://www statista.com/statistics/1122063/philippines-number-of-doctors-by-region/ (Accessed 20 July 2020)


This bill aims to establish the 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. The members of the Medical Reserve
Corps may be called upon to assist the national government and the local
government units in addressing the medical needs of the public in times of
state of emergencies.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.

‘RED VARGAS


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Meteo Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No, _ 7157

INTRODUCED BY
REP. ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS, APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 "Medical Reserve
Corps Act"

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared 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.

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 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 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 (150) and the period of
deployment does not exceed sixty (60) 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 (60) 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. Expenses 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 30 Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, shall not
collect any fee from the members 31 of the Medical Reserve Corps in
addition to the normal fees and charges pertinent to 32 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:

i. First Offense: One hundred and twenty (120) hours of


community service;

ii, Second Offense: Two hundred and forty (240) hours of
community service; and

iii, Third and Subsequent Offenses: Six (6) months imprisonment
and four hundred and eighty (480) 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 ofthis 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. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in two (2) newspapers of national circulation.

Approved,