REPUBLIC ACT NO.

5901 - AN ACT PRESCRIBING FORTY HOURS A WEEK OF LABOR

FOR GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS OR CLINIC PERSONNEL

Section 1. Government and private resident physicians, nurses, nutritionists,

dietitians, pharmacists, social workers, laboratory technicians, para-
medical technicians, psychologists, midwives, attendants and all other
hospital or clinic personnel shall hold regular office hours for eight hours
a day, for five days a week, or a total of forty hours a week, exclusive of
time for lunch: Provided, That any of such employees or laborers who shall
suffer a reduction of his weekly or daily wage or compensation because of a
reduction of the number of days or hours of labor in a week, as provided
herein, subject to the minimum daily or hourly wage or compensation
already fixed by existing law, shall be given an automatic increase in his daily
or hourly wage or compensation, whose amount in a week or a day or per
piece shall be equal to the diminution which his daily or hourly or per piece
wage shall suffer on account of the reduction of days of labor to five days a
week: And provided, further, That the salaries of employees received on
monthly basis shall not suffer any diminution on account of the reduction of
the number of days of labor a week.

Sec. 2. This Act shall apply only to cities and municipalities with a population of one
million or more and to hospitals and clinics with a bed capacity of at least one
hundred.

Sec. 3. All acts or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 4. Any violation of this Apply by any official of the government, in case of
government hospitals and clinics, shall be punished by separation from
the service. If the violation is committed by any private hospital or clinic,
said hospital or clinic shall pay a fine of not less than one thousand pesos, nor
more than five thousand pesos, and for succeeding offenses each official
responsible for the violation shall, in addition to the fine herein provided,
suffer imprisonment for not less than one month and not more than one year.

Sec. 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 21, 1969

RA 2382 (Medical Act of 1959)

Section 24. Grounds for reprimand, suspension or revocation of registration

certificate. Any of the following shall be sufficient ground for reprimanding a
physician, or for suspending or revoking a certificate of registration as
physician:

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(12) Violation of any provision of the Code of Ethics as approved by the

Philippine Medical Association.
CODE OF ETHICS (Adopted by Philippine Medical Association in 2016)

5.2. Duly Constituted Health Authorities. Physicians shall cooperate with the duly
constituted health authorities by:

5.2.1. Educating the community, enforcing measures for the prevention, promotion,
management, and rehabilitation, in accordance with existing laws, rules, and
regulations;

5.2.2. Attending to victims in times of epidemic and calamity, except when

his/her personal safety is at stake;

5.2.3. Increasing the level of awareness of the public and the duly constituted health
authorities on the dangers of communicable and non-communicable diseases;

REVISED CODE OF ETHICS FOR THE MEDICAL PROFESSION (Adopted by the PRC
Board of Medicine in 2019)

ARTICLE V (Professional Responsibilities to the Community)

Section 5. The physician’s responsibility of the community:

5.2. Duly Constituted Health Authorities. Physicians shall cooperate with the duly
constituted health authorities by:

5.2.2. Attending to victims in times of epidemic and calamity, except when

his/her personal safety is at stake;

7.6. Emergencies. In an emergency, a physician shall examine and treat a

patient and shall continue to provide that assistance until it is no longer
required.

ARTICLE X (Penal Provisions)

Violation of any section of the Code of Ethics shall constitute unethical and unprofessional
conduct, and therefore be a sufficient ground for the reprimand, suspension, or revocation
of the certificate of registration of the offending physician in accordance with the
provisions of the Medical Act of 1959 as amended and Republic Act 8981 (PRC
Modernization Act of 2000)

MAGNA CARTA FOR PHW

SECTION 15. Normal Hours of Work. — The normal hours of work of any public health
worker shall not exceed eight (8) hours a day or forty (40) hours a week.

Hours worked shall include: a) all the time during which a public health worker is required
to be on active duty or to be at a prescribed workplace; and b) all the time during which a
public health worker is suffered or permitted to work; Provided, that, the time when a
public health worker is placed on "On Call" status shall not be considered as hours worked
but shall entitle the public health worker to an "On Call" pay equivalent to fifty percent
(50%) of his/her regular wage. "On Call" status refers to a condition when public health
workers are called upon to respond to urgent or immediate need for health/medical
assistance or relief work during emergencies such that he/shall cannot devote the time for
his/her own use.
SECTION 16. Overtime Work. — Where the exigencies of the service so require, any public
health worker may be required to render service beyond the normal eight (8) hours a day.
In such a case, the workers shall be paid an additional compensation in accordance with
existing laws and prevailing practices.

RIRR- Magna Carta for PHW

RULE XV Compensation, Benefits and Privileges

SECTION 1. Normal Hours of Work. — Public health workers, similar to other government
employees, shall be required to render eight (8) hours of work per day or forty (40) hours a
week.

1.1. Hours worked shall include:

a) all the time during which a public health worker is required to be on active duty
or to be at a prescribed workplace; and

b) all the time during which a public health worker is required or permitted to
work; provided, that during times that a public health worker is “ON CALL” status as
defined in these Rules, he shall be entitled to ON CALL pay equivalent to fifty per cent
(50%) of his regular wage.

VII Penal Provision

Any person who shall willfully interfere with, restrain, or coerce any public health worker
in the exercise of his rights or shall commit any act violating any of the provisions in the
Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers,
shall be punished, upon conviction, with a fine of not less than Twenty Thousand Pesos
(P20,000.00) but not more than Forty Thousand Pesos (P40,000.00); or imprisonment of
not more than one (1) year, or both at the discretion of the court.

If the offender is a public official, the court may impose the penalty of disqualification from
office, in addition to the penalties provided in the preceding paragraph.

CODE OF CONDUCT OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS

VI. Duties and Obligations. The public health worker is bound to the following duties and
obligations, in addition to those embodied under Rule VI, Sections 1 to 8 of the Code of
Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees:

To his Clientele

7. The public health worker shall act and respond to any call for his/her services at
any time.

To the Community

1. The public health worker shall fully cooperate with local authorities in the
performance of his/her duties and responsibilities.

5. The public health worker shall make himself/herself available to the community
anytime his/her services are needed especially emergencies and calamities.
CODE OF ETHICS

5.2. Duly Constituted Health Authorities. Physicians shall cooperate with the duly
constituted health authorities by: 5.2.1. Educating the community, enforcing measures for
the prevention, promotion, management, and rehabilitation, in accordance with existing
laws, rules, and regulations; 5.2.2. Attending to victims in times of epidemic and calamity,
except when his/her personal safety is at stake; 5.2.3. Increasing the level of awareness of
the public and the duly constituted health authorities on the dangers of communicable and
non-communicable diseases;