Legal basis and governing framework
- Section 25(e) of the National Defense Act, as amended by Commonwealth Act No. 385, authorizes creation and organization of the Nurse Corps as part of the Medical Service, Philippine Army.
- The organization rules in Executive Order No. 267 are implemented through actions by the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Board of Examiners for Nurses, under policy control involving the Secretary of National Defense.
- Further operational rules are to be issued by the Chief of Staff, subject to approval by the Secretary of National Defense where specified.
- Army benefits and housing arrangements are governed by Army Regulations issued with the approval of the President of the Philippines.
Policy purpose: reserve readiness and staffing
- The Nurse Corps Reserve is organized to maintain a roster of qualified nurses for potential mobilization.
- Staffing arrangements ensure availability for assignment in each Military District upon mobilization.
- Mobilization readiness is achieved by requiring reserve nurses to hold themselves ready to report for active service when their assigned unit mobilizes.
- The recruitment system uses examination and registries, with both voluntary applications and draft by lot when needed.
Recruitment, procurement, and mobilization enlistment
- The Chief of Staff of the Army must request from the Board of Examiners for Nurses a list of qualified nurses kept up-to-date from year to year.
- The Chief of Staff of the Army must furnish the Board with questionnaires and registration forms required to be accomplished by all successful female candidates who are citizens of the Philippines passing the examination for nurses.
- Registrants must immediately notify the Chief of Staff of any change of address after registration for proper notation in registration papers.
- The Chief of Staff of the Army must obtain from the Red Cross and from local duly registered and recognized nursing associations the names and addresses of qualified nurses available for mobilization assignment in each Military District.
- The Chief of Staff must make necessary arrangements with those organizations for the enrolment and assignment of qualified nurses to the Nurse Corps Reserve in case of mobilization.
- The Chief of Staff must encourage voluntary applications for appointment in the Nurse Corps Reserve to fill mobilization requirements for each Military District.
- If voluntary applications exceed needs, the Secretary of National Defense may direct the Chief of Staff to hold competitive examinations to determine relative merit of applicants.
- If voluntary applications fall short of mobilization requirements, compulsory draft must be resorted to, and assignment is made by drawing of lots from among names listed in the register of qualified nurses.
Qualifications for membership requirements
- An applicant must be a citizen of the Philippines.
- An applicant must be not less than 21 nor more than 45 years of age.
- An applicant must be unmarried, of good moral character and excellent reputation, and physically fit for military service.
- An applicant must have graduated from a duly accredited three years’ course of training in a general hospital with a daily average of 50 patients or more, including men, women, and children, during the applicant’s training period.
- Graduates of special hospitals and those of hospitals caring for women only are eligible if their experience includes at least nine months’ training in a general hospital for the care of men, women and children, either during the course of training or subsequent thereto.
- Post-graduate training or hospital experience that supplements training deficiencies may be accepted as equivalent under rules and regulations prescribed by the Chief of Staff with approval of the Secretary of National Defense.
- An applicant must have passed the examination prescribed by law for the practice of nursing in the Philippines and must possess the corresponding certificate of registration issued by the Board of Examiners for Nurses.
Appointment, promotion, and service policy
- Appointments to and promotions in the Nurse Corps Reserve follow the same general policy as in other branches of the Medical Service.
Classification and compensation during active service
- Nurse Corps Reserve members are classified, and their rates of pay during periods of active service are:
- Nurse: PHP 1,200.00 per annum.
- Head Nurse: PHP 1,500.00 per annum.
- Chief Nurse: PHP 1,600.00 per annum.
- Superintendent: PHP 2,100.00 per annum.
- In addition to the stated compensation, nurses are furnished with quarters in kind whenever available, or in cash, corresponding to their relative ranks.
- Quarters-in-kind or cash rules are based on Army Regulations issued with approval of the President of the Philippines.
Mobilization duties and assignment ratios
- Reserve nurses may be assigned for service in general hospitals, evacuation hospitals, and surgical hospitals in the proportion of three nurses for every fifty-patient capacity or major fraction thereof.
- Reserve nurses must serve in time of threatened or actual hostilities.
- Reserve nurses must hold themselves in readiness to join for duty on the day the unit to which they are assigned begins to mobilize for active service.
- The specific rules and regulations for such readiness and mobilization are prescribed by the Chief of Staff with approval of the Secretary of National Defense.