A proposed ordinance seeking to establish the Bacolod City Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program has passed first reading before the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City, Councilor Caesar Distrito said Wednesday, Nov. 11
Principally authored by Distrito, the measure aims to provide financial assistance to qualified and deserving Bacolodnon students pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree while ensuring that the City will benefit from their future medical services.
Under the proposed ordinance, qualified scholars may receive full or partial tuition assistance, monthly living allowances, support for textbooks and medical supplies, clinical training expenses, and assistance for the Physician Licensure Examination, Distrito said.
Applicants must be bona fide residents of Bacolod City for at least three years, meet the prescribed academic and financial qualifications, and pass a mandatory qualifying examination to ensure a fair, transparent, and merit-based selection process, with priority given to deserving students from low-income families.
One of the measure’s key features is the mandatory three-year return-service requirement, under which scholars who complete their medical education and obtain their professional licenses must render medical services in Bacolod City, particularly in barangay health centers, community clinics, and other public healthcare programs, Distrito said.
Unlike traditional scholarship arrangements, however, the proposed ordinance expressly provides that these doctors shall receive appropriate salaries and employment benefits during their return service, he said.
“We want to give deserving Bacolodnon students, especially those who cannot afford medical education, the opportunity to become doctors. But more importantly, we want them to return and serve our people. This is not simply a scholarship program; it is a long-term investment in the healthcare system of Bacolod City,” Distrito said.
Distrito explained that the proposed ordinance strikes a balance between public investment and the rights of medical professionals.
“We are not asking our future doctors to work for free. They deserve to be properly compensated for their professional services. At the same time, since the City Government invested in their education, it is only reasonable that they give back by serving our communities for at least three years. In this way, both our scholars and the people of Bacolod benefit,” he said.
The measure also proposes the creation of the Bacolod City Medical Scholarship Board, chaired by the City Mayor, with representatives from concerned city offices, medical schools, and the medical profession.
The Board will oversee the selection of scholars, administration of qualifying examinations, monitoring of academic performance, and coordination of compensated return-service placements. Scholars who unjustifiably refuse to fulfill their service obligations may be required to reimburse the scholarship assistance received, subject to due process and exemptions for circumstances beyond their control.
“Our ultimate goal is to produce more Bacolodnon doctors who will serve Bacolodnons, especially in underserved barangays where access to medical services remains a challenge. We hope that through this program, financial hardship will no longer prevent deserving students from pursuing their dream of becoming physicians,” Distrito said.*
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