Solon seeks tax incentives for pro bono doctors

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MANILA, Philippines – A lawmaker has proposed the granting of tax credit incentives to doctors offering pro bono services to poor patients.

“There is a need to give incentive to Filipino doctors to persuade them not to leave our country and be of help to our countrymen,”  Nueva Ecija Representative Estrellita Suansing said in a statement Sunday.

Suansing filed House Bill 2790, which provides pro bono physicians tax credits that are deducted from their gross income.

The first-term lawmaker noted that many Filipinos are unable to afford health care and some die from illnesses without seeking medication She said there are Filipino doctors, however,  who leave the country to find high-paying jobs abroad.

Suansing said that under the bill, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) will “evaluate the pro bono services rendered by the physicians considering the number of hours and nature of treatment involved.”

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), meanwhile, will come up with the implementing rules and regulations.