The bill that would establish the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) has been approved in the House of Representatives on third and final reading.
Voting 195-6-0, congressmen passed on Thursday, March 25, the House Bill No. 8999, or the proposed "Medical Reserve Corps Act".
Under the bill, the MRC, which would be under the supervision of the Department of Health (DOH), shall be composed of licensed physicians, including those who are no longer practicing in the hospital setting; licensed allied professionals; and medical students who have completed four years of medical course, graduates of medicine as well as as registered nurses.
Their "primary mission" is to support the country's health system "in times of public health emergencies or health threats", the bill stated.
"The MRC shall be organized, trained, developed, and maintained so as to ensure their readiness to immediately respond to the call of service," it further read.
The President of the Philippines, upon the DOH's recommendation, may also order the mobilization of the MRC to complement the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Medical Corps "in case of the declaration of a state of war, state of lawless violence or state of calamity."
The AFP could provide expertise on the organization and structure of the MRC "for efficient, effective and swift deployment". The military could also augment the MRC in times of public health emergency.
The bill says that members of the MRC would be covered by labor laws and are entitled to "all the pay and allowances, medical care, hospitalization and other privileges and benefits" during their deployment.
They shall also receive all their existing benefits from the regular employment during the mobilization period.
In registering his "no" vote, Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said the bill would pave the way for the "militarization" of the health sector, which he said would not solve health crises.
"Habang kaisa ang kinatawan na ito sa pagpapalakas ng pagtugon ng pamahalaan tuwing may sakuna at kalamidad, naninindigan ang kinatawan na ito na hindi matutugunan ang problemang pangkalusugan sa pamamagitan ng pagbubuo ng bagong militarisadong istruktura sa loob ng DOH (While this representation supports the strengthening of the government's calamity and disaster response, we maintain that health problems will not be solved by establishing a militarized structure within the DOH)," he explained.
"Ngayong nasa gitna tayo ng pandemya ng COVID-19, lantad na lantad ang kakulangan sa hospital, doktor, nars, PPE, gamot at marami pang iba (Now that we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is evident that we lack the hospitals, doctors, nurses, protective personal equipment, medicine and several others)."
"Sa pagtatayo ng Medical Reserve Corps, inililihis nito ang limitadong health workers, pondo at rekurso na sana ay maggagamit natin para mapalakas ang health care system ng Pilipinas (The establishment of the Medical Reserve Corps diverts the limited health workers, funds, and recourse that should be used instead for improving the Philippines' health care system)," Zarate pointed out.
Echoing Zarate, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago stressed the need for "scientific and rights-based approach" in responding to health emergencies.
"Ito ay malinaw na creeping militarization ng mga civilian agencies and institutions (This a clear manifestation of the creeping militarization of civilian agencies and institutions)," Elago warned.