Trillanes seeks to replace 53-year-old medical law

Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV on Tuesday sponsored a bill seeking to regulate the education and licensure of physicians and the practice of medicine in the Philippines that will repeal Republic Act 2382 or the Medical Act of 1959.

"Needless to say, there is an imperative need to enact the measure to update and modernize the law governing the medical profession and the study and practice of medicine in the country," Trillanes said in his sponsorship speech.

In Senate Bill No. 3137, the proposed measure intends to assign the task of recognizing the integrated Accredited Professional Organization (APO) of Physicians to the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) instead of the Philippine Medical Association as provided for under the existing the law.

According to Trillanes, chairman of Senate Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization, changes were also introduced in areas particularly in "upgrading and regulating the study of medicine-proper, including internship and training; in the area of the examination and testing of would be physicians for registration and licensure; in the supervision, control and regulation of the practice of medicine; in the integration of the medical profession; and in the development of professional competence and ethical standards among physicians through the imposition of mandatory continuing professional medical education."

The bill also includes a policy of foreign reciprocity, which would allow foreign physicians to practice in the country provided that their countries of origin also afford the same privilege to Filipino physicians.