Medical scholarship bill among Senate priorities amid COVID-19 pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — As the country continued to grapple with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Tuesday the upper chamber would prioritize bills seeking to, among other things, grant scholarships to medical students, expand benefits given to solo parents, and allow the opening of the classes to be deferred until September.

“One of the most important things now — and we have been insisting on it even before — is the Medical Scholarship Act. There will be more people who would like to be doctors or even nurses in the Philippines if we would pass this Medical Scholarship Act,” Sotto, speaking partly in Filipino, told reporters in a teleconference.

“In other words, if Filipinos want to be doctors, [their schooling] should be free. That’s what’s stopping them now — taking up medicine is expensive. This law will allow that many Filipinos to learn to become doctors because it’s free,” he added.

Senate Bill No. 1, which Sotto filed at the beginning of the 18th Congress, seeks to provide scholarships to eligible medical students.

The scholarship would cover medical school expenses — tuition and laboratory and miscellaneous fees; required textbooks, school supplies, and equipment; clothing and uniforms; travel and board and lodging; and subsistence and living allowances.

Bill on September opening of classes

According to Sotto, he also talked with Sen.Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate basic education committee, about a recently filed bill that would allow the postponement of the opening of classes until September.

At present, the law provides that the school year should start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.

“I think the DepEd [DepEd] came out with something declaring that Aug. 24 as the opening of classes. The bill that I proposed opens the school calendar in September. It’s a safer date,“ he said.

Sotto’s Senate Bill No. 1438 seeks to amend Section 3 of the Act on Lengthening of School Calendar (Republic Act No. 7977), so that the opening of classes can be deferred until September of this year — or any month as may be determined by the President.

“What if there is a second wave?” Sotto said, referring to a possible resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

“When I was talking to Senator Gatchalian that’s exactly what he said: What if there’s a second wave?” he went on. “How would the DepE respond to that? They will now be violating the law because they’re adjusting it [the time of school opening], So it’s really best that we pass that bill because, otherwise, you will let the executive department violate a law. So that’s an important thing.”

Among other bills that the Senate will prioritize deals with the following topics — heftier penalties for lying witnesses, the corporate income tax incentives reform (CITIRA), and the coco levy trust fund.

The Senate has already shifted to a “new normal” after it amended its rules to allow teleconferencing during plenary sessions and committee hearings.

The upper chamber resumed its session on Monday, May 4, after a two-month break.

/atm