Physicians Act of 2020
Physicians Act of 2020
Physicians Act of 2020
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Republic Act No. 2382 or "The Medical Act of 1959", as amended by Republic Act Nos.
4224 and 5946 has been the foundation of the medical profession in the country for the
longest time. However, the changing times bring about changing demands and
developing technologies that require a law that is more appropriate and responsive to
the current circumstances.
Over the years, dramatic advances in various disciplines in the science and technology of
medicine have revolutionized the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease. The
rapid progress of modern medicine dictates the need to upgrade and update the
curriculum of the study and practice of medicine. There is an urgent need therefore to
update the existing Medical Act of 1959 that has been the standard reference in the
practice of medicine.
The “Physician's Act of 2020” promotes the professional services of the physicians by
ensuring the efficiency and responsiveness of the different aspects of the medical
profession: basic medical education including medical internship training; licensure
examination and registration of physicians; post-graduate medical education/training;
practice of medicine; integration in one National Integrated Professional Organization for
Physicians; and promotion of competence, moral values and professional standards.
We entrust our health and our lives to our doctors and it is only proper that we equip
them with the legislation that will both promote their profession and protect their rights.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
ARTICLE I
TITLE, POLICY, OBJECTIVES AND ENFORCEMENT
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Physician’s Act of 2020".
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. -The State recognizes the vital role of physicians in
the preservation, maintenance, safeguard, cure and enhancement of the life, health and
general welfare of the citizenry. Physicians' professional services shall, therefore, be
promoted as a regular component of the total health care system.
SECTION 3. Objectives. -This Act provides for and shall govern the:
They shall call upon or request any department, instrumentality, office, bureau,
institution or agency of the government including local government units (LGUs) to
render such assistance as they may require or to coordinate or cooperate in order to
carry out, enforce or implement the professional regulatory policies of the government or
any program or activity they may undertake pursuant to the provisions of this Act.
ARTICLE II
DEFINITION OF TERMS
d) Clinical clerkship refers to a course offered in the fourth (4th) year of a basic
medical education program that consists of supervised, time-bound rotations
and application of patient/community care in different medical disciplines in
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h) Medical College refers to a learning institution which has complied with the
standards and requirements set forth by the Medical Education Council (MEC)
and duly recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to offer
a complete basic medical education program leading to a degree of Doctor of
Medicine. It may be known as a faculty of medicine, institute of medicine,
school of medicine or other similar names.
j) Medical Malpractice refers to the total deviation from the medical standard of
care.
ARTICLE III
THE MEDICAL EDUCATION COUNCIL
SECTION 6. Creation. - The Medical Education Council (MEC) shall be created under
the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) and shall becomposed of the following:
The Chairperson and members of the MEC shall hold office during their incumbency in
the respective institutions or associations that they represent.
The MEC, within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act, shall appoint a technical
panel composed of at least six (6) outstanding members of the academe and/or the
profession whose responsibility is to assist the Council in carrying out its functions and
powers.
The public officials shall perform their duties as such without compensation or
remuneration, subject to reasonable per diem allowances as approved by the MEC and
subject to existing rules and regulations of the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM). Members thereof who are not government officials or employees shall be entitled
to necessary travelling expenses, per diem and representation allowances chargeable
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against the funds of the CHED, as approved by the MEC, subject to existing rules and
regulations of the DBM.
SECTION 7. Functions and Duties. -The MEC shall have the following functions and
duties:
g) To develop and put into place programs as well as adopt and implement
policies which will encourage and allow applicants coming from marginalized
areas and/or groups as well as financially-challenged families to be admitted
into medical colleges and complete their medical education;
j) To promulgate, prescribe and enforce policies and programs which will ensure
the proper and orderly operations and upkeep of medical colleges in order to
ensure that basic medical education is not treated merely as a business
enterprise but one with a social dimension;
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l) To promulgate, prescribe and enforce the necessary rules and regulations for
the proper implementation of the foregoing functions.
SECTION 8. Minimum Required Course. - The medical course leading to the degree of
Doctor of Medicine shall be four (4) years inclusive of clinical clerkship; or five (5) years
inclusive of clinical clerkship and medical internship provided that there shall be no
tuition or miscellaneous feesfor internship and shall consist of the following subjects:
b) Human Physiology;
l) Otorhinolaryngology;
m) Ophthalmology;
The minimum curricular content regardless of the curriculum design shall include the
following topics that shall be integrated in all medical courses:
Provided, that the MEC may recommend to the CHED the re-clustering or integration of
subjects as may be necessary to fit into the four (4) or five (5)-year program for the
degree of Doctor of Medicine.
b) Certificate of good moral character issued by two (2) former professors in the
college offering the pre-medical course(s);
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit any medical college from imposing
further requirements, in addition to the requirements set forth in this section relevant to
the degree.
Only medical colleges externally accredited by agencies recognized by the Council may
accept foreign medical students.
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Every medical college shall keep complete records of enrollment, grades, graduates and
must publish each year a catalogue giving the following information:
a) Date of publication;
e) Grading system;
SECTION 10. Medical Internship Program. - The MEC, within sixty (60) days after the
effectivity of this Act, shall appoint a technical panel on medical internship program
composed of a minimum of seven (7) deans of CHED-recognized medical colleges or
their representatives whose responsibility is to assist the Council in carrying out its
functions and duties on the medical internship program.
The members of this panel shall perform their duties as such without compensation or
remuneration, subject to reasonable per diem allowances as approved by the MEC and
subject to existing rules and regulations of the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM). Members thereof who are not government officials or employees shall be entitled
to necessary travelling expenses, per diem and representation allowances chargeable
against the funds of the CHED, as approved by the MEC, subject to existing rules and
regulations of the DBM.
ARTICLE IV
THE PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD OF MEDICINE
SECTION 12. Powers and Duties. -The PRC-PRBM shall be vested with the following
specific powers, functions, duties and responsibilities:
weights for the licensure examinations; conduct the examination; correct and
rate the examination papers;
d) Ensure that test questions in the Physician Licensure Examinations shall have
relevant distributions as to the knowledge, skill and attitude of the
examinees;
f) Explore and develop ways on how to measure and evaluate the clinical
competence of applicants and to introduce and integrate the same into the
Physician Licensure Examination to ensure not only the theoretical knowledge
but also the clinical skills of successful examinees;
k) In collaboration with the PMA, recognize only one (1) professional specialty
organization and/or professional specialty board in an area or field of medical
practice in order to maintain high competency and professional standards in
the practice of that specialty;
p) Majority of the members of the PRC-PRBM with the assistance of the legal
division of the PRC shall conduct hearing/s of any case filed with the PRC-
PRBM. A member of the PRC-PRBM shall be assigned to each case and shall
act as its presiding officer;
r) After due notice and hearing, cancel examination papers and/or bar any
examinee from future examination; refuse or defer his/her registration;
reprimand the registrant with stern warning; suspend him/her from the
practice of his/her profession; revoke his/her certificate of registration; cancel
special/temporary permit/temporary training permit; remove his/her name
from the roll of physicians for continuous non-payment of annual registration
fees and non-compliance with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
requirements; reinstate or re-enroll his/her name in the said roll; and re-issue
or return his/her certificate of registration and professional identification card.
A decision of suspension, revocation of the certificate of registration or
removal from the roll by the Board as provided herein may be appealed to the
Commission within fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof;
t) Institute and prosecute or cause to be instituted and prosecuted any and all
criminal action against any violation of this Act and/or the rules and
regulations of the PRC-PRBM, subject to the provisions of Section 5, Rule 110
of the Rules of Criminal Procedure, as amended;
v) Coordinate with the MEC and the PMA in prescribing, amending and/or
revising the courses in a medical program;
x) Set the standards and guidelines for the issuance and re-issuance of
certificates of registration including but not limited to compliance with the
PRC-PRBM's CPD program; and
SECTION 13. Qualifications. - Each PRC-PRBM member must, at the time of his/her
appointment:
a) Be a natural born Filipino citizen and has been a resident of the Philippines for
at least ten (10) consecutive years;
i) Has no pecuniary interest in any medical college which offers and operates a
program for the degree of Doctor of Medicine; and
SECTION 14. Term of Office. - The members of the PRC-PRBM shall hold office from
the date of their appointment for a term of three (3) years or until their successors shall
have been appointed and qualified. They may, however, be reappointed for another
three (3)-year term but not for a third three (3)-year term. Appointments to fill up
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vacant positions for reasons other than through expiration of regular terms, shall be for
the unexpired period only. Each member shall take an oath of office before the
performance of his/her duties. The incumbents whose terms have not yet expired or who
are merely holding over, at the effectivity of this Act, shall be allowed to serve the
unexpired portion of their terms or may be re-appointed under this Act.
SECTION 15. Compensation. - The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and members of the
PRC-PRBM shall receive compensation and allowances or other benefits pursuant to the
provisions of the "PRC Modernization Act of 2000" and other pertinent laws and
comparable to the compensation and allowances received by the Chairperson and
members of existing professional regulatory boards.
d) Final conviction by the court of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude.
The PRC shall designate the secretary of the PRC-PRBM and shall provide the Secretariat
and other support services to implement the provisions of this Act.
ARTICLE V
PHYSICIAN LICENSURE EXAMINATION
SECTION 18. Prerequisites to the Practice of Medicine. - No person shall engage in the
practice of medicine in the Philippines unless he/she:
b) Holds a valid Temporary Training Permit issued by the PRC after fulfillment of
requirements for those who intend to undergo post-graduate medical
education/training.
SECTION 19. Examination Required. - All applicants for registration prior to the
issuance of certificate of registration and a professional identification card as a physician,
shall be required to pass the licensure examination for physicians as provided for in this
Act, and shall be subject to the payment of the fees prescribed by the PRC.
SECTION 20. Qualifications for Applicants for the Physician Licensure Examination. - All
applicants for the Physician Licensure Examination must possess all qualifications and
none of the disqualifications hereunder set forth as follows:
c) He/she has not been convicted by final judgment by a court of any criminal
offense; and
SECTION 21. Scope of Examination. - The Physician Licensure Examination shall cover
the following twelve (12) individual and/or combined/clustered subjects with the relative
weights for each:
b) Physiology;
Each of the twelve (12) subjects shall have its syllabus or table of specifications for
purposes of the Physician Licensure Examinations. The PRC-PRBM shall apply each
syllabus after a lapse of three (3) months reckoned from the concurrence of all the
following requisites:
SECTION 24. Report and Publication of the Results of Examination. - The PRC-
PRBMshall report the rating of each examinee to the PRC within ten (10) days from the
last day of examination or any other period granted by the PRC. The official results of
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the examination containing the list of topnotcher examinees indicating their respective
schools/colleges and the names of the schools/colleges obtaining top percentage of
successful examinees shall be published by the PRC in traditional media and PRC
website.
The report of rating of every examinee shall be mailed to his/her given address, using
the mailing envelope he/she submitted during the examination.
SECTION 25. Oath. - All successful examinees shall be required to take their oath
before the PRC-PRBMor any person authorized by the PRC to administer oath before they
are issued their certificates of registration and professional identification cards or before
they start the practice of the medical profession. They shall also be required to take the
oath of membership in the National Integrated Professional Organization for Physicians
(NIPOP) which is the PMA.
The certificate of registration of a physician shall bear the registration number and the
date of issuance and the signatures of the chairperson of the PRC and the members of
the PRC-PRBMstamped with the seals of the PRC and the PRC-PRBM, certifying that the
name of the person stated therein appears in the Registry/Roster/Roll of Physicians
under the custody of the PRC; that the person has complied with all the legal
requirements for registration as a physician; and that the person is entitled to exercise
all the privileges appurtenant to the practice of medical profession.
Provided, that he/she does not violate this Act, the rules and regulations, the Code of
Ethics of the Medical Profession of the PMA as approved by the PRC, and other regulatory
issuances and policies of the PRC and the PRC-PRBM.
The professional identification card shall bear the name of the registered licensed
physician, the registration number, the date of issuance, and the date of the expiration
of the license. Together with the membership identification card issued by the PMA, the
physician is deemed qualified to practice medicine in the Philippines.
A successful examinee who has been finally convicted by a competent court of a criminal
offense or found guilty by the PRC-PRBMof dishonorable or immoral conduct or declared
by a court to be of unsound mind shall not be registered. The decision of the PRC-PRBM,
finding the examinee guilty of dishonorable or immoral conduct may be appealed to the
PRC within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the PRC-PRBM's decision or resolution, and
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to the Court of Appeals within the same period from the receipt of the decision or
resolution of the PRC. The facts and the reasons for refusal to register shall be clearly
stated in writing, communicated to the examinee and duly incorporated in the records of
the PRC.
ARTICLE VI
THE POST-GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION COUNCIL
SECTION 27. Creation - There is hereby created the Post-Graduate Medical Education
Council (PGMEC), under the Professional Regulatory Board of Medicine (PRC-PRBM),
hereinafter referred to as the "PGMEC."
The members of the PGMEC shall perform their duties as such without compensation or
remuneration, subject to reasonable per diem allowances as approved by the PRC-PRBM
and subject to existing rules and regulations of the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM). Members thereof who are not government officials or employees
shall be entitled to necessary travelling expenses, per diem and representation
allowances chargeable against the funds of the PRC, subject to existing rules and
regulations of the DBM.
The PGMEC shall be composed of at least eleven (11) members, the Chair of which shall
be the incumbent chair of the Professional Regulatory Board of Medicine (PRC-PRBM) or
its duly authorized representative and the following:
9) Other specialty groups distinct from any of the above as endorsed by the
PMA that may be given recognition by PRC-PRBM.
SECTION 28. Powers and Functions. - The PGMEC shall ensure the quality of post-
graduate medical education/training for all specialties and sub-specialties of medicine
and provide policies that will promote humane working conditions and better
compensation for resident/fellow trainees. Moreover, the PGMEC shall be tasked to
ensure that the post-graduate medical education/training of physicians shall be
responsive to the current health service needs of the population. In particular, it shall
perform the following functions:
k) To supervise, monitor and review the conduct of the specialty board certifying
examinationsthrough the PRC-PRBM-recognized professional specialty
organizations/boards;
b) Resident/fellow trainees shall be entitled to one day off from hospital duty
every week;
d) Resident/Fellow trainees shall only perform those functions that are related to
his/her post-graduate medical education/training. As such, their superiors are
hereby prohibited from issuing orders that are not related to the training of
resident/fellow trainees or are demeaning to a resident/fellow trainee's
dignity as a person. The PGMEC shall receive and investigate complaints of
this nature from resident/fellow trainees;
e) Resident/Fellow trainees are entitled to adequate periods for meal breaks and
personal care during their tour of duty;
SECTION 32. Salary and Other Benefits. - The minimum base pay of all resident/fellow
trainees in government hospitals shall be in accordance with existing civil service laws
and regulations. For private training institutions, the minimum base pay shall be set in
accordance with existing labor laws and regulations. Hazard pay shall be given as
stipulated in Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as "The Magna Carta for Health
Workers", for resident/fellow trainees of government or private hospitals.
3) Obtaining excess and unused medicines, drugs and other materials from
patients or the supply source, without proper permission;
e) Observe the provisions of Republic Act 6675 also known as the Generics Act
of 1988 and Republic Act 9502 also known as the Cheaper and Quality
Medicines Act of 2008; and
f) Render full time/part time service as stipulated by the institution in the post-
graduate medical education/training program agreement.
ARTICLE VII
REGULATION OF THE PRACTICE OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
SECTION 37. Acts Constituting the Practice of Medicine. - The following are acts
constituting practice of medicine:
a) History taking and physically examining any person, and diagnose, treat,
operate or prescribe any remedy or prevention of human disease, injury,
deformity, physical, mental, psychological condition or any ailment, real or
imaginary, regardless of the nature of the remedy or treatment administered,
prescribed or recommended; or
SECTION 38. Scope of Medical Practice. – The scope of the practice of medicine is the
application of medical knowledge, skill, and judgment for the promotion of good health;
the prevention and treatment of physical, mental, or psycho-social diseases, disorders,
injuries, and conditions; the assessment and management of a physical, mental, or
psycho-social disease, disorder, injury or condition of an individual or group of
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individuals at any stage of the biological life cycle, including the prenatal and
postmortem periods delivered either in clinical or non-clinical settings.
This refers to the practice of the profession wherein the physician is engaged
in the application of medical knowledge in the fields of health research, basic
medical education, public health and health systems, health communications,
healthcare industry and administration among others.
The scope and limitations of the practice of medicine shall be in accordance with the
most recent Code of Ethics of the Medical Profession of the PMA as approved by the PRC
and/or the Code of Ethics by the respective professional specialty organizations involved.
SECTION 39. Telemedicine. - Telemedicine means the delivery of health care services
or consultations directly to a person of a written or otherwise documented medical
opinion concerning the diagnosis or treatment of that person for the purpose of patient
care by a physician located at a distant site as a result of the outward transmission of
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individual patient data by electronic or other means from the originating site to that
physician’s site.
a) For purposes of this Act, medical students, clinical clerks, and medical interns
attending to patients shall not be considered as engaging in the practice of
medicine, provided, that they are attending to patients under the direct
supervision and control and under the presence of a duly licensed physician.
the country of which the foreigner is a citizen, allows Filipino citizens to practice medicine
under the same conditions such as but may not be limited to the following:
a) The country of which the foreigner is a citizen, imposes the same academic
and training requirements for its citizens to be able to practice medicine;
SECTION 42. Special Permits to Practice Medicine in the Philippines. - In the absence of
reciprocity agreement, executive agreement or international agreement, or treaty, a
foreigner may be allowed to practice in the Philippines subject to the following
conditions:
b) The special permit shall specify the purpose, the limitations, the place of
practice of the foreigner and such other conditions as may be imposed by the
Commission such as but not limited to:
1) A period of not more than one (1) year subject to renewal or extension,
provided, that the renewal or extension shall be under the same process
and requirements as hereinabove described;
The PRC may issue a special permit to a foreigner not covered by reciprocity rule or
under Section 41 hereof under the following guidelines:
c) Mental incapacity;
h) Issuance of any false statement or spreading any false news or rumor which
is derogatory to the character and reputation of another physician without
justifiable motive;
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i) Knowingly issuing any false medical certificates and/or findings or making any
fraudulent claims with government or private health insurance;
k) Allowing one's self as the ghost physician or as tool of any person who is
unqualified or unlicensed to practice general or specialty practice of medicine,
except in aid of training of a medical student or resident/fellow trainee.
Provided however, that this provision shall not apply when an act constituting
the practice of general or specialty medicine is performed in a hospital, clinic
or medical center as an accredited practitioner in the hospital, clinic or
medical center. A ghost physician is one who makes it appear to be the person
who has actually treated a patient when in fact it was another person other than
him/her and on the basis of which he/she accepted a professional fee;
SECTION 44. Rights of the Parties. — The private complainant and the respondent
physician shall be entitled to counsel and be heard in person, to have a speedy and
public hearing, to confront and to cross-examine witnesses, and to all other rights
guaranteed by the Constitution and the rules of Court. All cases filed or pending under
this Act, except those filed or pending in courts and other quasi-judicial and investigative
bodies, shall not be discussed or taken up in any forum until after the same shall have
been decided with finality.
SECTION 45. Appeal from Judgment. — The decision of the PRC-PRBM shall become
final fifteen (15) days from the date of receipt of such decision by the parties or their
counsel, whoever receives first. Within the same period, the aggrieved party may ask for
a reconsideration of the decision for being contrary to law or for insufficiency of
evidence. No second motion for reconsideration to the PRC-PRBM shall be allowed. A
decision of suspension, revocation of the certificate of registration or removal from the
roll by the PRC-PRBM as provided herein may be appealed to the PRC within fifteen (15)
days from receipt thereof.
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A new certificate of registration or professional identification card that has been lost,
destroyed, mutilated or otherwise could no longer be used for its purpose, may be
issued, subject to the rules imposed by the PRC.
SECTION 48. Vested Rights. — All physicians registered at the time this Act takes
effect shall be automatically registered under the provisions hereof, without prejudice, if
any, to the other requirements herein set forth.
All physicians whose names appear at the Registry/Roll/Roster of Physicians at the time
of the effectivity of this Act shall automatically be registered by the PRC-PRBM and the
Commission as physicians and, thereafter, by the National Integrated Professional
Organization for Physicians (NIPOP) as its bona fide members pursuant to Section 26 of
this Act.
SECTION 49. Integration of the Profession. — The profession shall be integrated into
one (1) National Integrated Professional Organization for Physicians (NIPOP)herein
known as the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) duly recognized by the PRC-PRBM and
the PRC. A physician duly registered and licensed by the PRC-PRBM and the PRC shall be
required to register as a member of the PMA, shall maintain his/her membership in good
standing and shall receive the benefits and privileges appurtenant thereto upon payment
of required fees and dues. Membership in the PMA shall not be a bar to membership in
any other association of physicians.
ARTICLE VIII
PENAL PROVISIONS
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SECTION 51. Penalties. — Except as otherwise allowed under this Act, no person shall
practice or offer to practice the medical profession in the Philippines or be appointed as
medical practitioner to any position without having previously obtained a valid certificate
of registration and a valid professional license from the Commission (PRC).
The following shall be punishable by a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos
(P50,000.00) nor more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) or
imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than five (5) years or both at the
discretion of the court, shall be imposed upon:
a) Any person who practices the medical profession in the Philippines without
being certified in accordance with the provisions of this Act;
c) Any person who gives any false or fraudulent evidence of any kind to the
PRC-PRBMor any member thereof in obtaining a certificate of registration as
physician;
d) Any person who impersonates any registrant of the same or different name;
f) Any person who, in connection with his name, otherwise assumes, uses or
advertises any title or description tending to convey or conveys the
impression that he/she is a physician without holding a valid certificate; and
g) Any person who violates or who abets the violation of any of the provisions of
this Act. The penalty of fine or imprisonment or both, as provided in this
section, shall also apply to any clinic, hospital or any healthcare official who
shall cause or be responsible for the commission of any of the above-
enumerated acts.
SECTION 52. Medical Malpractice and Medical Negligence. — Medical practitioners are
given carte blanche in using treatments that they believe will do good without first
having evaluated them adequately to ensure they do no harm.
When the patient’s wellness and well-being are made to depend on doctors, every
reasonable step should be taken in order to stave off any maleficence and administer
only beneficence.
There are cases when patients are given ill-medical advice inadvertently, which is
contraindicative of the patient’s condition. Such malpractice should not go unchecked.
If the malpractice results in death, the penalty shall be a fine ranging from Five Hundred
Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00) to Two Million Pesos (P2,000,000.00) and/or two (2) to
five (5) years imprisonment plus revocation of license.
SECTION 53. Cease and Desist Order. — Upon written motion by any interested party
and after notice and hearing, the PRC-PRBM may issue cease and desist order to a
person not authorized to practice medicine. However, if it is shown in the affidavit/s
attached to the motion that the movant or the general public will suffer grave injustice or
irreparable injury, the chairperson of the PRC-PRBM, or in his/her absence, any PRC-
PRBM member holding office may issue within seventy-two (72) hours the cease and
desist order. The Rules of the Court is suppletory for this purpose.
The PRC-PRBM and the PRC shall file an appropriate case for contempt of court against
any person who failed, or refuse to obey, the cease and desist order.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 54. Annual Report. — The PRC-PRBMshall, on or before the end of January of
the year following the enactment of this Act, submit to the PRC its annual report of
accomplishments on programs, projects and activities for the calendar year together with
its appropriate recommendations on issues or problems affecting the practice of
medicine.
SECTION 55. Appropriations. — The funds needed to implement the provisions of this
Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 56. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90) days after the
approval of this Act, the CHED and PRC, in consultation and coordination with
appropriate government agencies, representatives from the private sector, and other
stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this Act.
SECTION 57. Transitory Provisions. — The incumbent Board of Medicine shall continue
to function in the interim until such time as the PRC-PRBMshall have been constituted
pursuant to this Act.
SECTION 58. Separability Clause. — If any clause, provision, paragraph or part hereof
be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, invalidate or
impair any other part hereof but such judgment shall be merely confined to the clause,
provision, paragraph or part directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment
has been rendered.
SECTION 59. Repealing Clause. — Republic Act No. 2382 also known as "The Medical
Act of 1959", all laws amending the said Act, all other laws, decrees, executive orders
and other administrative issuances and parts thereof which are inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby modified, amended, superseded or repealed
accordingly.
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SECTION 60. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
following its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of
general circulation in the Philippines.