Medical Reserve Corps Act

oints of to: TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) ) 25 JUL 29 P1:04 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVES? S.B. No. - Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO PANDEMIC, EPIDEMIC, AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, CREATING A MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides that "the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them." Over the years, various public health emergencies such as outbreaks and pandemics have claimed lives. A pandemic puts the entire world at risk of a markedly increased occurrence of severe morbidity and mortality. Further, simultaneous occurrence of the pandemic means that supply chains for essential products like lifesaving medications and essential medical supplies will be quickly threatened causing further panic and fear to the public. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inability of the Philippines health care system to cope with the surge of patients needing medical care due to the shortage of medically trained personnel, among others. According to the Department of Health (DOH) Human Resource for Health Network (HRHN), the Philippines has a shortage of 290,000 health workers in the country which is based on the WHO indicative HRH ratio of 44.5 HRH to 10,000 population for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, there is an annual out migration of 13,000 health care professionals which aggravates the deficiency in the national supply of health care workers (POEA, 2020).

In an article by the Ateneo De Manila University, dated 22 May 2025, the Philippines' physician-to-population ratio stands at 7.92 per 10,000 people, falling short of the international minimum standard of 10 per 10,000. Additionally, the country faces a shortage of at least 127,000 nurses, with most shortages concentrated in the private sector. The problem is thought to be exacerbated by the "brain drain" phenomenon, which sees many healthcare workers seeking better pay and working conditions abroad. Thus, this bill aims to enhance the capacity of our country to produce and call on the needed manpower in the healthcare sector and expand its human health resources in times of disasters and public health emergencies of both national and local scale through the mobilization of a Medical Reserve Corps to help ease the burden in our healthcare system, support the country's public health system and reduce its adverse health, economic, and social impact to the Filipino people. Given the abovementioned, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. TMEER. MARCOSy

Other eit TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES JUL 29 P1:04 ) First Regular Session SENATE RECE: 1D 8% S.B. No. _ Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO PANDEMIC, EPIDEMIC, AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, CREATING A MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS 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

2 Act."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall, at all times, give paramount

importance to the health of its citizens whether in the country or overseas and it shall likewise endeavor to efficiently and immediately address all potential and actual public health emergencies for the promotion of the general welfare of the people.

SEC. 3. Medical Reserve Corps. - A Medical Reserve Corps shall be created

10 composed of volunteer health care providers who provide health care services 11 including, but not limited to, hospitals, medical clinics and offices, special care facilities, medical laboratories, physicians, pharmacists, dentists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered and other nurses, and paramedics who provide emergency medical care, emergency medical or laboratory technicians, and ambulance and 15 emergency medical workers. The Medical Reserve Corps shall be called into duty during

pandemic, epidemic, and other public health emergencies, as may be deemed necessary, by the government.

SEC. 4. Medical Reserve Corps Database and Plan. - The Department of Health

(DOH), in coordination with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), shall establish a database of information of all individuals under the medical reserve corps which shall be updated quarterly. Provided that, the DOH shall also provide guidelines for the registration thereof. The DOH shall also prepare a plan which shall provide for integrated policy coordination and strategic direction with respect to all matters related to national and local public health and medical preparedness and execution and deployment of national and local response before, during, and after pandemics, epidemics, and other public health 13 emergencies.

SEC. 5. Local Government Unit Coordination. - The Local Government Units

(LGUs) shall include the setting up or modification of health care facilities and, in coordination with the DOH, designate areas for quarantine or isolation in preparation for any pandemic, epidemic, or other public health emergency.

SEC. 6. Recruitment, Training, and Compensation. - The DOH, in coordination

with the PRC and CHED, shall issue guidelines on the recruitment, training, and compensation for health care providers, under the Medial Reserve Corps Database, who choose to work and gal experience in public hospitals.

SEC. 7. Protection Accorded to the Medical Reserve Corps. - All members of the

Medical Reserve Corps shall be accorded protection as provided by existing labor laws and standards and other relevant occupations, safety, environmental and social legislation.

SEC. 8. Appropriation. - An initial amount of two hundred million pesos (Php

200,000,000,00) shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the implementation of this Act. Thereafter, the appropriation necessary shall be determined by the DOH, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Upon the effectivity of this Act,

the DOH, in coordination with the PRC and CHED, shall immediately convene and issue the implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days from the approval of this

SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or

unconstitutional, the provisions not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, rules or regulations, or

any part thereof, inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,