Press Release
September 14, 2020

Manifestation/Explanation of Vote Approval on Third Reading of Senate Bill No. 1520 (Medical Scholarship Act)
September 14, 2020

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our hardworking chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, our Senator from Bulacan, Senator Joel Villanueva.

Mr. President, I admire and was greatly inspired by Senator Villanueva in shepherding the passage of this bill. Despite his great loss during this COVID-19 pandemic, he showed up and worked tirelessly every day to serve the Filipino people. Hindi matatawaran ang kanyang pagmamalasakit sa ating mga kababayan. Kahit sa panahon ng pagdadalamhati ay nagawa pa rin nyang gampanan ang kanyang tungkulin bilang mambabatas -- tunay na kahanga- hanga. Sen. Joel, maraming salamat sa paglalaan mo ng panahon sa panukalang batas na ito. I am glad that you, together with this august body, allowed me to be one of the co-authors of this important and timely legislation. I also would like to congratulate our Senate President, Vicente Sotto III, the principal author of this bill. The very first Senate Bill he filed in this 18th Congress is one step closer to being enacted into law.

As Winston Churchill once said: "Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have." I fully agree with Mr. Churchill. However, it is a fact that we cannot have healthy citizens if we do not have enough doctors who will cure us of our illnesses and keep us healthy.

Mr. President, with today's approval on third reading of Senate Bill No. 1520 or the "Doktor Para sa Bayan Medical Scholarship", we can already imagine the coming into fruition, the healthy and productive society we have so long envisioned. With this legislative measure, we will no longer be in a situation wherein 6 out of 10 of our citizens die without seeing a doctor.

Mr. President, ang panukalang ito ay personal sa akin at malapit sa aking puso. Katulad ng iba nating mga kababayan, ang aking pamilya po ay nakaranas din ng pagdadalamhati noong binawian ng buhay ang aking dalawang musmos na kapatid dahil sa pangkaraniwang sakit nang hindi man lamang nakapagpa-doktor. Isa po ang aming barangay noon ang hindi naabot ng doctor, ang Brgy Bato, Sta. Cruz, Davao Del Sur.

In the same manner, we are helping and encouraging those students who were born into a painful contradiction of them having dreams, yet, not having the resources to turn those dreams into reality. We are offering a chance for our poor but deserving students to reach their goal to become doctors. Doctors who will help maintain the utmost respect for human life. Doctors who will help ensure the health of our people.

The fear and hardships that many are facing in the midst of our daily struggles especially during this pandemic cannot be denied, Mr. President. The passage of this bill which will promote and support our future doctors will be one of the many good policy decisions we can do to help our nation. If we truly wish to see this country flourish, then we must give importance to the health and well-being of our citizens. With this bill, we are on the right track.

Mr. President, the approval of this measure is consistent with our passage of Senate Bill No. 1563 or the "PNP, BFP, BJMP and BuCor Height Equality Bill" last week. Kung nakapagbigay tayo ng oportunidad sa mga KULANG SA HEIGHT, ngayong araw naman ay ginagarantiya natin ang oportunidad na makapag-aral ng medisina ang mga kabataang KULANG SA PANGGASTOS para maabot ang kanilang pangarap na maging doktor at makatulong sa ating mga mamamayan. Naniniwala po ako, na sa ganitong paraan po natin makikita ang tunay na paghilom ng mga sakit na hinaharap at haharapin pa ng ating bansa.

Maraming Salamat po!

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