Republic of the Philippines
SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD
City Government of Naga

ORDINANCE NO. 2026-063
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AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 2023-052, ENTITLED “AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF NAGA PROVIDING GUIDELINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, VIEW OF THE NECESSITY TO RE-PRIORITIZE FISCAL RESOURCES FOR REGULAR INDIGENT TERTIARY SCHOLARS AND OTHER MORE PRESSING EDUCATION SECTOR NEEDS IN

Author: HON. FRANCISCO M. MENDOZA

EXPLANATORY NOTE 

Ordinance No. 2023-052 established the Medical Scholarship Program, benefits: Doktor para sa Naga” The scholarship provides the following

1. Full tuition fee
2. Miscellaneous fees
3. All other fees, and
4. Five Thousand Peso (P5,000.00) monthly allowance for books, school uniform, transportation expenses and meals. 

Beneficiaries need not necessarily come from indigent families as those with annual income not exceeding One Million Pesos (PI,000,000.00) annually can avail of the medical scholarship. 

In contrast, the Naga City Tertiary Scholarship Program (NTSP) only cover tuition fees ranging from Eight Thousand Pesos (P8,000.00) to Twenty-Two Thousand Pesos (P22,000.00) per semester depending on the student’s rating, with no provision for monthly allowance for books, school uniform, transportation expenses, and meals. The Balik Eskwela Program, on the other hand, grants up to Forty Thousand Pesos (P40,000.00) but in the form of a loan to be repaid two years after graduation, plus up to Ten Thousand Pesos (PIO,000.00) as financial assistance for enrolment and, if not subsequently admitted to a scholarship program or in a government institution, up to Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) as financial assistance in the succeeding semesters. These programs for indigent students definitely pale in comparison to the medical scholarship program. 

One of the goals of Ordinance No. 2023-052 is to address the dearth of doctors at the then newly opened Naga City General Hospital as it binds the beneficiary, after getting his/her license, to be employed, upon the city’s invitation, for five years in city government health facilities. (Without an invitation such obligation is deemed waived). 

However, given the four years of medical school, one year of post-graduate internship, and 3-6 months for board exam review, it will take about six years, or starting 2029, for this program to yield doctors for the NCGH. What is augmenting the NCGH now are doctors deployed by the Department of Health under its Human Resources for Health (HRH) and similar programs. 

This problem, however, of lack of doctors is more market driven Because new entrants are hired under than scarcity of applicants, contract of service arrangement and remains of for years before transitioning to casual or permanent employees with Magna Carta benefits, only a few doctors are attracted to and retained by the NCGH and our other health facilities. In short, this scholarship program will not mend any shortage of doctors, but perhaps a more competitive employment package will. 

We must further consider the dictate of the Local Government Code which limits the grant of scholarship to “poor but deserving students (Section 458.5.xi) making the income ceiling of One Million Pesos (PI,000,000.00) under the medical scholarship program very much contrary to this statutory mandate. 

The funds for medical scholarship will promote greater equity if utilized for the regular scholarship programs of the city where beneficiaries are undergraduate indigent students who have yet to earn their diploma (in contrast to medical scholars who are already graduates of pre-med courses), or for our Alternative Learning System to give out-of-school youths a chance to complete their education, or level up our feeding program to arrest stunting and boost learning outcomes for malnourished pupils, or even augment the compensation of our Educate teachers. Indeed, there are more pressing needs in our educational sector where our meager finances will have greater developmental impact. 

Notwithstanding the repeal of Ordinance No. 2023-052, existing medical scholars and those who will qualify in the ongoing screening process shall still enjoy the benefits of the program. The repeal will not affect them. 

And for those just planning to pursue medical education, there is Republic Act No. 11509 better known as “An Act Establishing a Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program (MSRSP) for Deserving Students” which grants far greater benefits to medical scholars. The city’s own medical scholarship program may be gone, but there is a better alternative waiting for them.

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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Naga, in session assembled, that:

SECTION 1. Repeal of the Medical Scholarship Program- Ordinance No. 2023-052, also known as the “Doktor para sa Naga Medical Scholarship Program,” is hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. Continuity of Benefits for Existing or Newly Qualified Sholars – Notwithstanding the repeal of Ordinance No. 2023-052, existing medical scholars shall continue to receive the benefits provided therein until they complete their medical course, subject to its grade requirement and other conditions therein. Applicants who have already applied for and underwent the requisite interview prior to the effectivity of this new Ordinance, and are subsequently qualified and admitted into the program, shall likewise enjoy the full benefits of Ordinance No. 2023-052. However, in keeping with the Local Government Code, poor but deserving students shall be given priority.

SECTION 3. Re-Allocation of Funds to Other Education Sector Priorities Medical Scholarship Program shall be utilized for the regular scholarship programs of the city, or otherwise augment other priority needs of the city’s education sector. The benefits for existing and newly qualified medical scholars shall however remain fully funded. Any funds saved arising from the termination of the

SECTION 4. Mandatory Review

The Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Education and the Committee on Health shall, within one year from the effectivity of this Ordinance, conduct a joint review of the city’s various scholarship programs to ensure their alignment with the city’s development goals and their consistency with the Local Government Code particularly its general welfare clause and its unequivocal focus on “poor but deserving students”.

SECTION 5. Separability Clause- If any part or provision of this Ordinance is declared unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. All ordinances, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. Repealing Clause All ordinances, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 

SECTION 7. Effectivity

This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its approval and publication in accordance with the Local Government Code of 1991.

ENACTED: June 2, 2026.

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WE HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the foregoing ordinance.

LILIA Q. PASCUAL
Acting Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod

GABRIEL H. BORDADO JR.
City Vice Mayor & Presiding Officer

APPROVED;
MA. LEONOR G. ROBREDO
City Mayor