[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1082, June 15, 1954 ]
AN ACT STRENGTHENING HEALTH AND DENTAL SERVICES IN THE RURAL AREAS, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Nomenclature.—The District Health Officers shall henceforth be called Provincial Health Officers, and the Presidents of Sanitary Divisions, Municipal Maternity and Charity Clinic Physicians and Heads of Units of the Rural Health Units (FOA/PHILCUSA) of the Bureau of Health, shall henceforth be named Municipal Health Officers.
Section 2.
a. There shall be in each province a Provincial Health Officer, and in each congressional district, a Public Health Dentist: Provided, however, That a congressional district having a population of over one hundred fifty thousand shall have an additional Public Health Dentist. The existing charity dentists under the Bureau of Hospitals financed by the Sweepstakes aid and national fund and the dentists under the Bureau of Health shall constitute the nucleus for the dental service in the one hundred and two Congressional Districts: And, provided, further, That the positions of Public Health Dentists shall be created immediately upon the approval of this Act so that each congressional district shall have one dentist.
b. There shall be created rural health units of two classes: one of category one or senior rural health unit consisting of one municipal health officer as head of the unit, one public health nurse, one midwife, and one sanitary inspector; another of category two or junior rural health unit consisting of one physician or public health nurse as head of the unit and one midwife or sanitary inspector. Each municipality or group of municipal districts having a population of not less than five thousand shall have a rural health unit of category one: Provided, however, That a municipality with more than Thirty-five thousand inhabitants shall have an additional rural health unit of category two. If the public service so demands, the Director of Health, upon approval of the Secretary of the Department of Health, can regroup neighboring barrios and assign to each group a rural health unit of whatever category the circumstances warrant.
c. To take care of the distribution of drugs and medicines for the use in the rural areas, there shall be created four positions of pharmacists to be detailed in the central office of the Bureau of Health. These pharmacists may, from time to time, be assigned to the provinces as conditions warrant.
Section 3. The existing Presidents of Sanitary Divisions, Municipal Maternity and Charity Clinic Physicians, and Heads of the Units of the Rural Health Units (FOA/ PHILCUSA) of the Bureau of Health shall be the Municipal Health Officers to head the rural health units and shall remain in their present stations as municipal health officers thereat until their places of assignment are fixed by the Secretary of Health upon the recommendation of the Director of Health: Provided, however, That the additional rural health units required in section two (b) of this Act shall be established in four years from the effectivity of this Act.
Section 4. The minimum and maximum rates of annual salaries for the positions created in this Act shall be as follows:
| Position |
Salary Range (per annum) |
| Municipal Health Officer |
P3,000.00-P4,200.00 |
| Public Health Dentist |
2,400.00- 3,120.00 |
| Public Health Nurse |
2,400.00- 2,580.00 |
| Midwife |
1,440.00- 1,800.00 |
| Provincial Sanitary Inspector |
1,440.00- 1,560.00 |
| Pharmacist |
2,400.00- 3,120.00 |
Provided, however, That the Public Health Nurses in this Act shall have no cash allowance granted public health nurses in lieu of quarters, subsistence, and laundry in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act Numbered Six hundred forty-nine. The salaries of Provincial Health officers shall be that fixed in Republic Act Numbered Six fired seventy-five for District Health Officers.
Section 5. The duties of the Provincial Health Officers shall the same as those enumerated in section nine hundred eighty of the Revised Administrative Code for District Health Officers, while the duties of the Municipal Health Officers shall be the same as those enumerated in section one thousand six of the said Code for Presidents of Sanitary Divisions in addition to those provided for in Commonwealth Act Numbered Seven hundred four, as amended by Republic Act Numbered One hundred eighty-five, for Maternity and Charity Clinic Physicians.
Section 6. The Secretary of Health, upon the recommendation of the Director of Health, shall promulgate rules and regulations governing the duties, functions, and distribution of the public health nurses, midwives, sanitary inspectors, and public health dentists with a view to intensify the public health services and public sanitation work in the rural areas.
Section 7. In the event that the Health Fund created under section one thousand twelve of the Revised Administrative Code is not sufficient to cover the salaries of the personnel created under this Act who are paid regularly from said fund, the balance shall be taken from the fund hereinafter provided.
Section 8. To carry out the purposes of this Act the sum of four million pesos or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby appropriated out of any fund in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated: Provided, That the amount of not less than seven hundred thousand pesos shall be for the purchase of medical and dental supplies for the use in the rural areas, and the sum three hundred thousand pesos for the purchase of Medical and dental equipment and instruments. The amount of four million pesos herein appropriated is for the fiscal year nineteen hundred and fifty-four to nineteen hundred and fifty-five: And provided, further, That one bullion pesos shall be appropriated thereafter in addition to the total appropriation of the preceding year for the establishment of additional rural health units each year to complete the one thousand three hundred rural health units envisioned in this program; and additional Public Health Dentists to complete the goal of one hundred two Public Health Dentists.
Section 9. The Office of the Section of Municipal Maternity and Charity Clinics of the Bureau of Hospitals, its personnel, equipment, supplies, records, and appropriation shall upon the approval and operation of this Act, be transferred to the Bureau of Health.
Section 10. All laws, administrative orders, executive orders, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.
Section 11. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.1a⍵⍴h!1
Approved, June 15, 1954.
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