MARCH 15, 2015

NR # 3771B

Solon seeks upgrade of govt doctors pay

to Salary Grade 25 or P58,730 a month
A lawmaker is seeking to raise the basic Salary Grade of government doctors from
the present Grade 16 or P26,878 to Grade 25 or P58,730 a month to encourage them more
in providing quality medical services in rural and far-flung areas.
Rep. Catherine Barcelona-Reyes (1st District, Camarines Norte), a medical doctor,
said the present salary of government doctors, which is equivalent to Salary Grade 16, is
deemed insufficient to cover for all the expenses of their families.
Given their educational attainment, it is only proper that they be given a higher pay
that reflects their services, capabilities and educational level. They will be encouraged
more to provide quality medical services in rural and far-flung areas because of financial
security and right income, said Barcelona-Reyes.
She said the presence of health workers, particularly physicians, in all areas of the
country means that the government prioritizes the welfare of the people. It is one thing to
provide a universal healthcare system. But how can the people have access to healthcare
in their areas if there is an absence of government doctors?, said Barcelona-Reyes.
The lack of government doctors is especially true in rural and far-flung areas
according to the lawmaker. In cases of emergency, she said the scarcity of government
doctors forces people to seek the medical service of private doctors in town and will just
blindly pay these physicians professional fees.
In a study conducted by the Department of Health (DOH), Barcelona-Reyes cited
there are 26, 742 government health workers, of whom 2,838 are government doctors.
They are unevenly distributed in the country and largely concentrated in Metro Manila
and nearby areas, said Barcelona-Reyes, a vice chairperson of the House Committees on
Health, and on Government Reorganization.
The DOH study further showed that the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Davao Region had the least
number of government doctors.
Many health professionals do not work in these areas because of the perceived
costs of living and working there. As a result, they opt to start private practice in wealthier
metropolitan areas or work in private hospitals for higher professional fees. Worse, some
doctors take up Nursing to go abroad and earn more than thrice their salary in the
Philippines, said Barcelona-Reyes.

Barcelona-Reyes said her proposal embodied in House Bill 5499 or the proposed
Suweldo ni Dok Act, complements Section 9, Article II of the Constitution which
provides The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the
prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through
policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard
of living, and an improved quality of life for all.
The bill also complements Section I, Article XIII on Health which states The State
shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall
endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the
people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick,
elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical
care to paupers.
The bill also gives spirit to Section 18, Article II which provides The State affirms
labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and
promote their welfare.
The bill now pending at the Committee on Appropriations chaired by Rep. Isidro T.
Ungab (3rd District, Davao City) provides that from Salary Grade 16, the base pay of
government physicians shall be raised to Salary Grade 25 without prejudice to the current
allowances they receive. Under the Salary Standardization Rates for Government
Employees, Salary Grade 16 is equivalent to P26,878 a month while Salary Grade 25 is
equivalent to P58,730.
Lastly, the measure provides the DOH and the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) shall jointly craft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of
the Act. (30) rbb