QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 1128)
RA No. 1128 amends Republic Act No. 481, entitled “An Act to Provide More Efficient Dental Care for the Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”
RA No. 1128 was approved on June 16, 1954, and it takes effect upon its approval.
RA 1128 amends Sections 2 and 5 of RA 481.
The Secretary of National Defense must issue necessary regulations and define the procedure for dental functions of the dental service through appropriate directions issued by the Chief of Dental Service.
The Chief of Dental Service issues appropriate directions defining procedures for dental functions, studies, plans, and directs matters within the dental service’s cognizance, and ensures all matters relating to dentistry are referred to the dental service.
The Chief of Dental Service is directly responsible to the Chief of Staff for the administration of all matters related to the dental service.
The law states that “hereafter the dental corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be known as the dental service.”
The number of officers of the dental service must be not less than two (2) officers for every thousand (1,000) of the total strength of the AFP authorized from time to time.
A separate roster for officers of the dental service must be kept separate from the medical service.
The dental service consists of commissioned officers of the same grades and proportionately distributed among such grades as are now or may hereafter be provided for the medical corps.
Dental service commissioned officers shall have the rank, pay, and allowances of officers of corresponding grades in the medical corps.
It establishes referral/organizational control: dentistry-related matters within the AFP must be handled through or routed to the dental service, reflecting its authority within its competence.
By making the Chief of Dental Service directly responsible to the Chief of Staff for administration of dental service matters, it integrates dental administration into the AFP command hierarchy.