The House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation chaired by Bohol 3rd District Representative Kristine Alexei Tutor approved the consolidation of three bills seeking to strengthen the practice of midwifery as a profession in the Philippines.
At the meeting presided over by Committee Vice Chair PBA Party-list Representative Margarita “Atty. Migs” Nograles, the panel agreed to have House Bills 2903 and 7168, strengthening the practice of midwifery as a profession in the Philippines, providing funds therefor, repealing for the purpose the Philippine Midwifery Act of 1992 and the Philippine Midwifery Law; and HB 3882, instituting reforms in the profession of midwifery, strengthening the Board of Midwifery, repealing for the purpose RA 7392, be consolidated into a substitute bill.
The identified bills are authored by Reps. Salvador Pleyto (6th District, Bulacan), Rep. Tutor, and Rep. Ron Salo (Party-list, KABAYAN) respectively.
Nograles identified the upgrading of the midwifery profession into a four-year curriculum of Bachelor of Science instead of a two-year curriculum aimed at enabling the more competent and safer delivery of midwifery services, as one of the key provisions of the bills.
“HB 2903 has the purpose that no mother will die or be injured in the process of giving life to a healthy newborn baby.”
In his explanatory note, Pleyto stressed that HB 2903, which seeks to strengthen the regulatory and professional practice of midwifery in the country “will result in health services that would be more accessible, affordable and appropriate to address needs of the patients. This also has the purpose that no mother will die or be injured in the process of giving life to a healthy newborn baby.”
The panel also approved the consolidation of three bills providing for a comprehensive Chemical Engineering Law.
These are
1) HBs 1037 and 7127, providing for a comprehensive Chemical Engineering Law, repealing for the purpose RA 9297, also known as the Chemical Engineering Act of 2004; and
2) HB 2202, amending certain provisions of RA 9297 (by aligning the law with other Mutual Recognition Arrangements to ensure that Filipino chemical engineers remain competitive with the best not only in ASEAN but the rest of the world).
The bills are authored by Rep. Francisco Jose ‘Bingo’ Matugas II (1st District, Surigao del Norte), CPA, CESO, LLB, Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda (2nd District, Albay), and Rep. Manuel Sagarbarria (2nd District, Negros Oriental), respectively.
