Glimpses
By Jose Ma. Montelibano
The PRC is the Philippine Regulatory Commission. I believe it is tasked to regulate licenses of professionals like doctors, nurses, engineers, etc. I have never dealt with the PRC although I have been approached by interested parties asking for endorsements to become commissioners in this agency. Of course, I never got to accommodate any of these requests because I have no influence whatsoever with the appointing authorities.
At this point, though, I cannot help but wish I did have some kind of influence, not the necessarily the kind that can get commissioners appointed but get some of them terminated. Over the years, in pursuit of my twin advocacies, Gawad Kalinga (GK) and good citizenship, I have had the privilege of regular presence in two major fields – where the very poor are and where Filipino-Americans live. And from these two sectors, I experience the kind of ugly attitude that some government bureaucrats have for the poor who mean little them, and to Filipino-Americans who do medical missions in the Philippines.
First, let me start with the fact that the DOH itself admits it does not have the resources, and hunger and material, to serve all Filipinos. The last I heard, 20-25% of Filipinos, and I assume mostly the poorest among us, cannot get medical services from both government and the private sector. We are talking about out 20-25 million Filipinos here.
Because they are very poor, and many times in remote, hard to reach areas, these Filipinos live and die without medical intervention. Their only hope would be the kindness of doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners who do medical missions for free from the kindness of their hearts.
Medical missions are done by Filipinos based in the country or by Filipino-Americans. It is not so important where they are from. What matters most is that they want to help those who need help but cannot afford to pay for medical services and products. Those who do medical missions are not only kind, they are generous and heroic.
When Philippine-based doctors, dentists and other medical practitioners do their medical missions, what permits do they need from the PRC before they can do so? And these groups often ask, and receive, donations from pharmaceutical companies. Later, as members of the Philippine Medical Association, these kind-hearted medical practitioners get citations of appreciation for their humanitarian endeavors.
Yet, with all the volunteer work of locally-initiated medical missions, hundreds or thousands of them, the DOH continues to profess that millions of Filipinos cannot get the medical treatment.
The PRC licenses doctors, dentists, nurses and other medical practitioners. Why cannot PRC use its powers to persuade those it licenses to treat the needy? Of course, PRC will say it cannot use its powers to force medical practitioners to give their services for free, or when they do not want to. After all, ours is a democracy, PRC will claim.
But if PRC cannot help millions of poor Filipinos get medical treatment, sometimes for the only in their lives, if the DOH admits it cannot serve millions, if the private sector, medical practitioners and pharmaceutical companies cannot do the same as well, then why not actively ask help from whoever can help, why not be a voice for those among us who mutely live and die without a chance to get medical intervention?
Besides being inadequate to its share of the challenge of poverty which denies health services to millions, what we have is a PRC that makes it difficult, frustrating and exasperating for Filipino-American doctors, dentists, nurses and other medical professionals to conduct their medical missions at their own expense, all the way from America? What is it about our poor people that gives PRC the attitude that they are of little or no to PRC who will not go out of its way to play big brother and help them? Worse, why would the same PRC force kinder Filipinos from the US to go through an obstacle course ust to get imposed permits before they can serve the poor?
There have been many discussions, debates and arguments to justify the unjustifiable. Is it so hard for the PRC to understand that it cannot justify denying free health services that the government and the private sector cannot extend to the poor? What is the PRC worried about, that the Philippine Medical Association will frown if Filipino-American medical missions are freely allowed, even facilitated? The same association cannot bring its members to fully address the marginalized population of Filipinos. What is the PRC worried about, that the pharmaceutical companies will frown if Filipino-Americans will bring suitcases of free medicine which the same companies cannot afford anymore to donate themselves?
What higher reason would stop the PRC from encouraging and facilitating Filipino-American medical missions? Other government agencies, like our Central Bank, already bask in the outstanding level of our foreign reserves which Filipino-Americans substantially contribute to – as in billions of dollars every year and growing. Does the PRC know this? Real estate developers scramble to sell to Filipino-Americans. Does the PRC know this? The Department of Tourism and Philippine consulates in the US court Filipino-Americans to visit the motherland. Does the PRC know this, or the fact that many Filipino-American medical missions already aborted scheduled trips here – thanks to the utak wang-wang pervading among commissioners of the PRC?
It does not mean that absolutely no guidance is necessary for Filipino-American medical missions. Some form of registration, even if only to gather information about who they are so government and the people can officially thank them, would be good. At the same time, the PRC can ask the 40,000+ barangays in the Philippines to identify the poor who cannot afford medical treatment so medical missions, both locally-initiated or Filipino-American, will know where they can go and be of help. The PRC can also get instant help from the data bank of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program of the DSWD which already identifies millions of poor families.
In other words, the PRC should make guidelines that make it easier for the poor to get help. I think it is nothing less than criminal for the PRC to instead stand in the way of those who want to help.
.
Dear Friends,
kindly CLICK:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/p-noy-2-rescind-prc-foreign-medmission-regulations.html
then, pls SIGN a PETITION urging Pres Noynoy to rescind the new PRC regulations
Thank you,
Target: President Noynoy Aquino, Malacanang Philippines
Region: GLOBAL
P-Noy 2 rescind PRC foreign medmission regulations
Petition published by Maria Elizabeth Embry
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/p-noy-2-rescind-prc-foreign-medmission-regulations.html
Petition Background (Preamble):
PREAMBLE
The Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved in a resolution dated June 21, 2012 a new set of requirements regarding fees, admin civil penal sanctions, liability malpractice insurance applied to foreign medical professionals who are conducting humanitarian medical missions in the Philippines. The PRC is an office attached to the Office of President Noynoy Aquino.
Although, some Filipino professionals may opt to renew their old PRC medical licenses for the purpose of qualifying as non foreign practitioners, however, there is a requirement to pay a penalty equivalent to the number of years they allowed their license to expire.
excerpts:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/08/15/12/fil-am-mds-protest-vs-new-ph-rules
“To me this is R.I.P. to our enviable, proud tradition of giving back to our less fortunate fellow countrymen” Dr. Juan Montero II of Chesapeake, Va.
“When the requirement becomes too difficult, less physicians will volunteer their time to join medical missions” Dr. Zorayda Lee-Llacer of Maryland
The need for help from overseas Filipinos couldn’t have been more relevant with days of torrential rains flooding large parts of the Metro Manila region and surrounding provinces
http://globalbalita.com/2012/08/16/medical-missions-to-the-philippines-may-disappear/
“several missionary groups have cancelled their forthcoming Medical Mission…we feel we are unwanted…subjected to superfluous admin, civil, criminal & malpractice liabilities. We do not wish to be subjected to unscrupulous/frivolous medical lawsuits in our humanitarian medical services” Dr. Cesar D. Candari of Henderson, Nevada
Petition:
We, the undersigned on behalf of the medically indigent Filipinos, respectfully urge President Noynoy Aquino to rescind the new requirement of the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) in a June 21, 2012 resolution regarding Humanitarian Medical Missions conducted by Foreign Medical Professionals. We believe that subjecting the medical mission members to more red tape and additional out-pocket expenses will discourage many volunteers from participating.
We, the undersigned believe that requiring foreign medical professional volunteers to carry medical liability insurance is akin to opening a pandora’s box, since it will unnecessarily expose them to frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits, unscrupulous lawyers, hold travel departure orders, corrupt government officials, slow court system and other difficulties. Truly, a sword of damocles hanging on the head of samaritans who are simply trying to help their kababayans.
We, the undersigned believe in the urgency of our petition since medical missions require months of preparation.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
Therefore, we the undersigned submit this petition to His Excellency, President Noynoy Aquino
Perry:
In my article, “MISSIONS TO THE PHILIPPINES MAY DISAPPEAR” (Global Balita, August 16, 2012), I wrote “the Philippine Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) has recently issued regulations … There are requirements regarding fees, administrative civil penal sanctions, liability malpractice insurance that unquestionably have a nefarious impact to Fil-Am doctors, nurses and dentists from foreign countries who conduct medical missions to the Philippines.” I have also written a lenghty comment (Global Balita September 3, 2012) Evelyn Duriman’s letter regarding Medical Mission Regulations Update.
Thank you to Jose Ma. Montilibano. This is an eye openner to the PRC , to the PMA and DOH, to do more better. Ms. Duriman, CFO chairman is on top of this problem. Others are actively fighting for it; Drs. Johnny Montero, Philip Chua , Daniel Fabito and many more.
Sad to say, the PRC is constructing a barrier- the so called Berlin Wall – to stop the humanitarian projects of expatriates- the good Samaritans, to help our impoverished people of our country. Do we need the late President Ronald Reagan to tear down that Wall?
Doc CDC
I appreciate Mr. Montelibano’s column on PRC and the FilAm medical missions. My group is Las Vegas has been doing medical missions for a few years now. PRC should be helping the poor in the Philippines by not putting obstructions to Filam medical missions. Thanks Perry for reprinting the article.
Martin Celemin
Las Vegs, NV
I DID MY PART IN CASTIGATING THIS REQUIREMENTS FROM PRC. I did not just critizised them. I gave my solution that coordination among existing foundations and groups that help and deal with HEALTH AND MEDICAL MISSION in the Philippines will be afforded to do the Charitabel Medical and Health Missions in the Philippines.
I even went into my email groups in heated arguments of these situation as they critizised the Charitable Health and Medical Missions that are using expired medicines, none follow-up post local operations and many others. Even the most HIGHLY ADMIRED COUNTRIES ON HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES LIKE ITALY EVEN ALLOW MEDICAL MISSIONARIES TO COME TO THEIR SHORES. Much more of the Philippines that this PRC WILL DENY THIS!
I hope P-noy government will look into this FREE MISSION work afforded to the poor by charitable organizations/professionals FIL-AMS working abroad, REQUIRE PRC to present acceptable solutions; otherwise, P-Noy should order PRC commissioners/officials to submit their resignations or fire all undesirable ones at PRC and for P-Noy to streamline REGULATIONS/requirements for such CHARITABLE WORK helping the poor in the Philippines which is actually giving GREAT HELP to all Filipinos. MABUHAY sa lahat! God bless.
Perry, you nailed it to the point. For the last 20 years, never missed, I have been leading the Global Medical Foundation’s medical/surgical/dental missions to the province of Nueva Vizcaya. The faces of those whom we have helped have left an indelible mark in our hearts, our minds and our souls. These Novo Vizcayano faces , once full of despair, darkness, and sadness now full of hope, light and happiness…what an experience for all but now with this new PRC regulation, who wants to come and join me? They say…no way. Once again, those faces have been shattered.