Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte is leading a push to grant tax incentives to doctors volunteering their services for free to indigent patients as a way of recognizing their “selfless and committed” efforts in helping provide quality healthcare to Filipinos.

For this purpose, Duterte filed House Bill (HB) No. 5672, or the proposed Act giving tax credit to physicians rendering pro bono services to poor patients.

The University of the Philippines’ (UP) latest estimates show that on the average, there are 3.7 doctors in the country for every 10,000 Filipinos, which is way below the World Health Organization (WHO)- prescribed ratio of 1 for every 1,000 (or 10 for every 10,000 people).

Duterte said that despite this dismal ratio, many doctors still choose to render pro bono services especially in far-flung communities where healthcare remains scarce.

“These volunteer physicians took the initiative to extend their helping hands to the poor and marginalized as a response to the unreachable gap in the access to quality healthcare,” the Mindanaoan said.

Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Go Yap and ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano served as Duterte’s co-authors.

Under HB No.5672, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) are tasked to evaluate the pro bono services rendered by physicians by considering the number of hours put in and the nature of the treatment involved in providing such free services.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in consultation with the DOH and PMA, shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective enforcement of the bill’s provisions.

Given rising heathcare costs, which entails corresponding expenses for doctors providing pro bono services, Duterte said he believes more physicians would be encouraged to provide charity care if they are given tax breaks.

The measure is pending before the House Committee on Ways and Means.