QUEZON CITY – House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday lauded the Senate for approving on third and final reading its version of the proposed Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program Act, which will provide financial assistance to deserving Filipino students who want to pursue a medical degree.
“We appreciate the unanimous approval of the proposed medical scholarship bill in the Senate. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate during the bicameral conference committee,” Cayetano said in a statement a day after the Senate voted in favor of the passage of Senate Bill No. 1520, or the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act.
The passage came a month after the House of Representatives approved its own version of the bill on August 10, 2020.
“I have no doubt that we will be able to do so cooperatively and efficiently as this is a very timely and important piece of legislation,” Cayetano added.
The House and Senate versions of the bill both provide financial assistance to deserving medical students such as free tuition and other school fees; allowance for prescribed books, supplies, and equipment; clothing and uniform allowance; allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation; and transportation allowance.
Also included are internship fees, including financial assistance during the required internship period; medical board review fees and licensure fees; annual medical insurance; and other subsistence or living allowances.
Cayetano said the proposed program is part of the government’s efforts to encourage aspiring Filipino health and medical professionals to serve the country.
“We hope the program will encourage them to serve and give back to the people, especially our kababayans who cannot afford costly medical services or access the healthcare system, and help improve our doctor-patient ratio to rebuild the system,” he said.
Cayetano also said the approval of the bill is “a step closer to strengthening the country’s healthcare system and intensifying support for the health sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Under the both versions of the bill, an applicant must have the following qualifications:
a) a natural-born or naturalized Filipino citizen residing in the Philippines;
b) graduating from or be a graduate of an undergraduate program identified as a prerequisite for a Doctor of Medicine degree;
c) has passed the entrance examinations for admission into a Doctor of Medicine degree in any state university or college (SUC) or private higher education institution (PHEI); and
d) has obtained a National Medical Admission Test score mandated by the Commission on Higher Education and the SUC/PHEI.
In addition, the Senate version stipulates that the applicant’s family income must not be sufficient to support medical education.
The House version, meanwhile, provides for the role of local government units and the creation of a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee that will oversee, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the proposed Act.
In both versions, the scholar will be required to render the mandatory return service and integrated into the public health and medical service system upon passing the Physician Licensure Examination.