CEDRICK JAMES A.

SABULAO DM 40TH

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MIDWIFERY

Midwifery began a slow rebirth in the United States in the form of nurse-midwifery, when the Frontier
Nursing Service (FNS) was founded in a poor, rural county in Kentucky in 1925. FNS was founded by
Mary Breckinridge, who worked as a public health nurse for the Red Cross in France at the end of World
War I. While overseas, she encountered British nurse-midwives, who had the combination of training she
considered needed to help poor families in Kentucky.

Nurse-midwives attended only home births until the mid-1950s, when obstetric leaders of several inner-
city teaching hospitals developed midwifery services within their departments to help them deal with the
post-war “baby boom” and to improve the quality of care in those hospitals. Nurse-midwives did not
venture from care of the poor for almost 50 years. By the early 1960s—nearly 40 years after the FNS was
started—fewer than 70 nurse-midwives were in practice in the U.S.

Despite their relatively small numbers, nurse-midwives were influential. They introduced the concept of
family-centered maternity care (including the radical idea of allowing fathers in the delivery room), played
a significant role in the development of childbirth education, demonstrated the concept of mother-baby
rooming in (staying in the same room, rather than having the baby put in a separate nursery), and urged
mothers to breastfeed at a time when most hospitals were teaching them how to make formula and
sterilize bottles. Studies documented cost savings and good outcomes from nurse-midwifery care, and
the nurse-midwives’ role began to broaden in the 1960s and 1970s.

Most certified nurse-midwives work in the obstetric departments of hospitals. The desire to avoid routine
use of medical interventions motivated midwives to develop freestanding (non-hospital) birth centers. The
proportion of all U.S. births attended by certified nurse-midwives has increased from only about one
percent in the mid-1970s to nearly eight percent of all hospital births in 2012 and nearly 12% of all vaginal
births in hospitals (excluding deliveries by cesarean section). Although 95% of births attended by CNMs
occur in hospitals, CNMs also attend home births and births in freestanding births centers (2.4% and
2.3% of all CNM births in 2011).

A new form of midwifery developed during the 1960s and 1970s as part of women’s wider effort to claim
power over their own bodies and births. A small number of mostly well-educated, middle-class, white
women started choosing to have home births with an informally-trained “lay” midwives, who are now more
often referred to as direct-entry midwives.

“Direct-entry” means that the midwife entered midwifery “directly,” not through nursing; it is the
predominant and preferred model in a number of countries (e.g. the Netherlands, where about one of five
births are attended by midwives in the mother’s home). In 2012, 45 percent of home births were attended
by direct-entry midwives. Some direct-entry midwives are associated with religious traditions such as the
Amish, Mormons, and other Christian and Muslim groups.

A growing proportion of direct-entry midwives have completed a two to three year midwifery curriculum
designed to provide the knowledge and manual and critical-thinking skills required for safe care of
mothers and their fetuses and babies during low-risk births in out-of-hospital settings. Most direct-entry
midwives, however, do not have this formal midwifery education. Some have dedicated themselves to
acquiring the necessary competencies and are well-prepared, vigilant, excellent midwives. And some
excellent training programs have developed over the past decade. But, lacking enforceable standards for
referring to oneself as a “midwife” in the United States, the floor is low in many settings, and out-of-
hospital births attended by some direct-entry midwives are associated with increased risks of poor
outcomes.
Midwifery groups are working collaboratively to address these concerns. In 2014 the United States
Midwifery Education, Regulation and Association, a group that includes representatives from many
different midwifery organizations, issued a report supporting standards for the education and regulation of
midwifery.

HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE MIDWIFERY LAW

- The practice of midwifery was first regulated in the Philippines with the enactment of Public Act
No. 310 on December 4, 1901. The law created the Medical Board of Examiners which regulated
both the medicine and midwifery professionals.
- When the RA 2382 or the “Medical Act of 1999” was approved, the regulation of midwifery was
separated from medicine. A board of Examiners for midwives was subsequently created with the
enactment of RA 2644 on June 18, 1960. The first board was composed of Valeriano P. Fuguso
Jr. as Chairman and Vicente Castro-Ponce and Angelina L. Ponce as members.
- Dr. Jose Fabella founded the first school of midwifery in May 1922 and was named Maternity and
Children’s Hospital
- Dr. Fabella aimed to supplant the unlicensed midwives by training young women in midwifery.
High school graduates were accepted to train in midwifery in one year
- In 1947, a number of midwifery graduates from all over the country initiated an alumni association
to improve the midwifery profession. The organization then was known as Philippine Midwifery
Association (PHIMIDAS) headed by Atty. Angelina Ponce
- PHIMIDAS held its first national convention sometime on August 1961 and resulted to the
formation of the National Federation of Filipino Midwives (NFFM)
- NFFM was formally registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August
22, 1961
- The Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP) Inc. was created and was
accredited by the PRC on September 5, 1975

RA 2644

AN ACT REGULATING MIDWIFERY TRAINING AND PRACTICE

Section 1. Title of Act. – This Act shall be known as the Philippine Midwifery Law.

ARTICLE II The Board of Examiners for Midwives

Section 2. Creation and Composition of the Board. – There is hereby created a Board of Examiners for
Midwives which shall be under the direct supervision and control of the President of the Philippines. It
shall be composed of a chairman, who shall be an obstetrician, and two members one of whom shall be a
registered nurse-midwife appointed by the President of the Philippines, with the consent of the
Commission on Appointments and upon recommendation of the Commissioner of Civil Service from
among five obstetricians certified by the Association of Obstetricians or the Philippine Medical
Association, for chairman, and for members, from among ten registered nurse-midwives and registered
midwives in the Philippines as may be officially certified by recognized pertinent national associations of
registered nurse-midwives and midwives in the Philippines.

Section 3. Qualifications of the Board Members. – The chairman and the two members of the Board shall
all be citizen and residents of the Philippines of good moral character and reputation, at least thirty years
of age and had at least five years of successful practice prior to appointment. They shall not be members
of the faculty of any school of midwifery during the year preceding their appointment, during their
incumbency as members of the Board, and during the year after their terms shall have expired, nor shall
they have directly or indirectly any pecuniary interest in such institutions. The Chairman must be an
obstetrician. The nurse-midwife members must be registered both as a nurse and a midwife. The midwife
member must be a registered midwife and preferably a holder for a college degree conferred by a duly
recognized college or university.

Section 4. Powers and Duties of the Board. – The Board of Examiners for Midwives is vested with
authority conformably with the provisions of this Act, to issue, suspend, revoke or reissue certificates of
registration for the practice of midwifery in the Philippines, and shall exercise powers conferred upon it by
this Act with a view to the maintenance of an efficient, ethical, technical and moral standard in the practice
of midwifery.

The Board shall have the power to investigate violations of this Act and for this purpose, it may, under the
hand of its chairman and seal of the Board, issue summons subpoena, or subpoena duces tecum to
violators of this Act and witnesses thereof and to compel their attendance and the production of records
and documents. The Board shall, from time to time, look into the conditions affecting the practice of
midwifery in the Philippines and, whenever necessary, recommend or adopt such measures as may be
deemed proper for the improvement of such practice and the vigorous enforcement of this Act.

Section 5. Term of Office. – The Members of the Board shall hold office for a term of three years or until
their successors shall have been appointed and duly qualified: Provided, That the chairman of the first
Board of Examiners for Midwives under this Act shall hold office for three years, one member for two
years and one member for one year. Any vacancy occurring within the term of a member shall be filed for
the unexpired portion only. Each member of the Board shall qualify by taking the proper oath of office
prior to entering upon the performance of his or her duties.

Section 6. Executive Officer and Secretary of the Board. – The Commissioner of Civil Service shall be the
Executive Officer of the Board. The Secretary of the Board of Examiners appointed under Republic Act
Numbered Five hundred and forty-six shall also be the Secretary of the Board of Examiners for Midwives.
All records and minutes of the deliberations of the Board, including examination papers, shall be kept by
the Bureau of Civil Service under the direct custody of the Secretary.

Section 7. Compensation of Board Members. – The members of the Board shall each receive, as
compensation fee, ten pesos per capita of the candidates examined.

Section 8. Removal of Board Members. – The President of the Philippines may, upon the
recommendation of the Commissioner of Civil Service, remove any member of the Board for continued
neglect of duty or incompetency, for commission or toleration of irregularities in the examination, or for
unprofessional or dishonorable conduct after having given the member concerned an opportunity to
defend himself or herself in a proper administrative investigation.

Section 9. Rules and Regulations. – The Board may, subject to the approval of the President of the
Philippines, promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this
Act.

Section 10. Annual Report. – The Board shall submit an annual report to the President of the Philippines
after the close of each fiscal year, giving a detailed account of the proceedings of the Board, a statement
of moneys received and expenses incurred, and such recommendations as the Board may desire to
make.

ARTICLE III Examination and Registration of Midwives

Section 11. Examination Required. – Except as otherwise permitted under Section twenty of this Act, all
applicants for registration for the practice of midwifery in the Philippines shall be required to undergo an
examination as required for in this Act.

Section 12. Holding of Examinations. – Examinations for candidates desiring to practice midwifery in the
Philippines shall be given by the Board on the second Tuesday of August and February of each year in
Manila and in such other places as may be deemed necessary and expedient by the Commissioner of
Civil Service subject to the approval of the President of the Philippines.

Section 13. Scope of Examination. – The examination for the practice of midwifery in the Philippines shall
consist of a written test, the scope of which shall include:
(1) obstetrical anatomy and physiology, (2) principles of bacteriology as applied to midwifery practice, (3)
obstetrics, (4) midwifery procedures, (5) domiciliary midwifery, (6) infant care and feeding, (7) community
hygiene and firstd, (8) normal nutrition, and (9) ethics of midwifery practice. Examination questions must
be of such types as are used in recognized schools of midwifery in the country.

Section 14. Prerequisites and qualifications of applicants for examination. – In order to be admitted to the
midwifery examination, an applicant must, at the time of filing his or her application therefor, establish to
the satisfaction of the Board that he or she:
(a) Is a citizen of the Philippines;

(b) Is at least twenty-one years of age;

(c) Is in good health and of good moral character;

(d) Has finished a standard academic high school; and

(e) Has finished a course in midwifery from an institution, accredited and legally constituted, in which the
following subjects are taught: Introduction to General Anatomy and Physiology, Principles of Bacteriology,
Obstetrics, Midwifery Procedures including personal hygiene and the care of patients’ environment,
Delivery room technique, Nursery technique and infant care and feeding, Ethics, Nutrition, Domiciliary
midwifery, Community hygiene and first aid, and Mothercraft.

Section 15. Schools of Midwifery. – To be recognized as a duly accredited and legally constituted
institution for midwifery training as provided for in this Act, a school of midwifery must have a permit from
the Department of Education, and be associated with, as owner or part owner, or has control of, a hospital
with at least fifty beds for maternity cases, duly authorized to operate as such hospital by the Department
of Health: Provided, That midwifery schools associated with, or has control of, a hospital whose bed
capacity for maternity cases in over thirty but less than fifty beds may be authorized to operate if it can
show that it is affiliated preferably with government hospital possessing the qualifications provided in this
Act. No school of midwifery shall be authorized to operate whose hospital has less than thirty beds for
maternity cases.

Such school must have a minimum ratio of trained resident staff members to maternity beds of 1:10 and a
ratio of 1:12 of teaching staff members to students.

Before allowing a student to graduate, the school must satisfactorily show to the Department of Education
that he or she has attended eighteen months of the course in midwifery and that during his or her training
he or she has attended personally, under the authority of the staff members, at least twenty deliveries in
the hospital or hospitals and at least five deliveries in its domiciliary service.
Section 16. Schools operating before the passage of this Act. – Midwifery schools possessing permits or
recognition to operate before the approval of this Act but do not conform with the provisions thereof shall
be made to conform with the provisions provided in this Act within a period of two years from the date of
its approval, otherwise their permits or recognition shall automatically be deemed revoked.

Section 17. Ratings in the Board Examination. – To be qualified as having passed the Board examination
for midwives a candidate must obtain a general rating of seventy-five per cent in the written test with no
grade lower than sixty per cent in Obstetrics, Infant Care and Feeding, Midwifery procedures and
Domiciliary midwifery, and provided that in other subject no grade shall be lower than fifty per cent.

Section 18. Report of Results of Examination. – The Board of Examiners for Midwives shall, within one
hundred twenty days after the examination, report the ratings obtained by each candidate to the
Commissioner of Civil Service.

Section 19. Issuance of Certificate. – Certificates of Registration as midwife shall be issued to any
applicant who passes the examination and upon payment of the required fees. Every certificate of
registration shall, show the full name of the registrant, have serial number, bear the signatures of the
members of the Board, be attested by the Secretary of the Board, and be duly authenticated by the official
seal of the Board of Examiners for Midwives.

The issuance of a certificate of registration by the Board to the registrant shall be evidence that the
person named therein is entitled to all rights and privileges of a registered midwife until said certificate, for
just cause, is revoked temporarily or cancelled.

Section 20. Registration for Nurse-Midwife. – Certificate of registration may be issued to registered nurses
who pass the examination for midwives: Provided, however, That certificates of registration may be
issued to nurses who show evidence to the Board of Examiners For Midwives of having actually handled
twenty delivery cases as certified to by a director or chief of a duly registered or recognized hospital or by
the Director of Health Services upon the recommendation of the proper city or provincial health officer.

Section 21. Fees for Examination and Registration. – Applicants for examination for the practice of
midwifery shall pay an examination fee of thirty pesos. Successful applicants shall pay a registration fee
of fifteen pesos.

Section 22. Inhibition Against Practice of Midwifery. – Unless exempt from registration, no person shall
practice or offer to practice midwifery in the Philippines, as defined in this Act, without holding a valid
certificate of registration as midwife issued by the Board of Examiners for Midwives.

Section 23. Foreign Reciprocity. – No midwife who is a citizen, subject or national of a foreign country
shall be granted any of the rights and privileges under this Act unless he or she can show to the
satisfaction of the Board that the country of which he or she is a citizen, subject or national permits within
its territorial limits on the same basis as the citizen, subject or national of such country: Provided, That the
requisites for admission to midwifery school and for graduation in said country are substantially the same
as those in this country.

Section 24. Practice of Midwifery Defined. – A person shall be deemed to be practising midwifery within
the meaning and intent of this Act, who shall, for a fee salary, or other reward or compensation, perform
services requiring an understanding of the principles and applications of procedures and techniques
applicable to the care of normal child-bearing women from the beginning of pregnancy until the end of
puericulture and the care of their normal infants during the neonatal period: Provided, however, That
these provisions shall not apply to students in midwifery schools who perform midwifery services under
the supervision of their instructors, nor to cases of emergency.
Section 25. Refusal to issue certificates of registration. – The Board of Examiners for Midwives shall
refuse to issue a certificate or registration to any person convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of
any criminal offense involving moral turpitude, and to any person guilty of immoral or dishonorable
conduct. The Board shall give the applicant a written statement setting forth the reason or reasons for its
action, which statement shall be incorporated in the records of the Board.

Section 26. Revocation and Suspension of Certificates. – The Board shall also have the power to revoke
or suspend the validity of a certificate of registration of a midwife for any of the causes mentioned in the
preceding section, or for unprofessional conduct, malpractice, incompetency or serious ignorance or
negligence in the practice of midwifery or for making use of fraud, deceit or false statements to obtain a
certificate of registration. From the decision of the Board, appeal may be taken to the Secretary of Health
whose decision shall be final.

Section 27. Reissue of Revoked Certificate and Replacement of Lost Certificate. – The Board may, for
reasons of equity and justice and upon proper application therefor, issue another copy of the certificate,
original or duplicate, upon payment of ten pesos, and in so doing it may, in its discretion, exempt the
applicant from the necessity of undergoing examination. A new certificate of registration to replace any
certificate lost, destroyed or mutilated, may be issued subject to the rules of the Board and upon payment
of ten pesos.

ARTICLE IV Sundry Provisions Relative to the Practice of Midwifery

Section 28. Prohibition in the Practice of Midwifery – Penal Provisions. – Any person who shall practice
midwifery in the Philippines within the meaning of this Act, without a certificate of registration issued in
accordance therewith or without having been declared exempt from examination and registration, or any
person presenting or using as his or her own the certificate of registration of another, or any person giving
any false or forged evidence to the Board in order to obtain a certificate of registration, or any person
using a revoked or suspended certificate of registration, or any person assuming, using or advertising as
a registered midwifery or registered nurse-midwife or appending to his or her name the letters R.M.
without having been conferred such title by the Board of Examiners duly authorized to confer the same, or
advertising any title or description tending to convey the impression that he or she is registered midwife,
shall be guilty of misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to a fine of not less than one
thousand pesos nor more than five thousand pesos, or to suffer imprisonment for a period of not less than
one year nor more than five years, or both, in the discretion of the court: Provided, however, That “hilots”
registered with the Department of Health as having been trained in the art and practice of midwifery under
the UNICEF-Philippine Department of Health project and “hilots” in localities where the services of a
practising physician or registered midwife are not available, having actually safely handled twenty delivery
cases as certified to by the proper health officer shall, within the purview of this Act, be allowed to
continue in the practice of their trade.

The penalty above-provided shall likewise be imposed on any person found guilty of violating any rule or
regulation issued pursuant to the provisions of this Act.

Section 29. Repealing clause. – All laws, part of laws, orders or regulations inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Section 30. Appropriation for the purpose of this Act. – The sum of two thousand pesos is hereby
appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of
carrying out the provisions of this Act within the fiscal year of the approval thereof. Thereafter such funds
as are necessary for the maintenance and operation of the Board of Examiners for Midwives shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Section 31. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 18, 1960.

RA 2644
 Republic Act No. 7392
"Philippine Midwifery Act of 1992."
AN ACT REVISING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2644, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
PHILIPPINE MIDWIFERY ACT

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7392

AN ACT REVISING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2644, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
PHILIPPINE MIDWIFERY ACT

ARTICLE I
TITLE 
Section 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Midwifery Act of 1992."

ARTICLE II
THE BOARD OF MIDWIFERY 

Sec. 2. Composition. — There shall be a Board of Midwifery, hereinafter referred to as the Board, which
shall be under the direct supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). It shall be a
collegial body composed of a chairman and four (4) members to be appointed by the President of the
Philippines from among the recommendees of the Commissioner of the Professional Regulation
Commission. chan robles virtual law library
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The Commission shall recommend three (3) registered midwives from the list submitted by the
association of midwives; one (1) obstetrician from the list submitted by the association of obstetricians;
and one (1) registered nurse-midwife from the list submitted by the association of midwives: Provided,
That said associations are accredited in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 223: Provided, further,
That the nominees submitted shall possess the appropriate qualifications prescribed in Section 3
hereof.chanrobles virtual law library 
Sec. 3. Qualifications and Disqualifications of the Board Members. — (a) Each member of the Board shall
at the time of his appointment: 
(1) be a citizen and resident of the Philippines; 
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(2) be of good moral character; 
(3) be at least thirty (30) years of age; and 
(4) not a member of the faculty, whether full time, part time or lecturer, of any school, college or university
where a regular course in midwifery is taught, and shall not have any pecuniary interest directly or
indirectly, in such institution during his term of office as a Board member. 
(b) The Chairman of the Board shall at the time of his appointment: 

(1) be a registered obstetrician; and chan robles virtual law library

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(2) have at least ten (10) years practice as an obstetrician prior to his appointment.

(c) Three (3) members of the Board shall at the time of their appointment: 

(1) be registered midwives; chan robles virtual law library

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(2) be degree holders, preferably in the field of health and social sciences; and 
(3) have at least ten (10) years practice as midwives prior to their appointment, five (5) years of which are
in supervisory positions. 

(d) One (1) member of the Board shall at the time of his appointment: 

(1) be a registered nurse-midwife; and chan robles virtual law library

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(2) have at least ten (10) years practice as a nurse-midwife.chanrobles virtual law library 

Sec. 4. Term of Office. — The Chairman and the four (4) members of the Board shall hold office for a
term of three (3) years or until their successors shall have been appointed and duly qualified, without
prejudice to reappointment for another term. Each member of the Board shall qualify by taking his/her
oath of office before entering upon the performance of his/her duties.chanrobles virtual law library 

Sec. 5. Duties and Functions of the Board. — The Board shall have the following duties and functions: 

(a) to enforce the provisions of this Act; 

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(b) to administer oaths in accordance with the provisions of this Act; 
(c)to issue and, after due investigation, suspend or revoke certificates or registration for the practice of
midwifery; 
(d) to investigate any violation of this Act or of the rules and regulations issued thereunder, as may come
to the knowledge of the Board; and for this purpose, to issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum to
alleged violators or witnesses to secure their attendance in investigations or hearings, and the production
of books, papers and documents in connection therewith and compel their attendance by the power of
contempt; 
(e) to conduct yearly board examinations to midwifery examinees under the supervision of the
Commission; 
(f) to look, from time to time, into the condition affecting the practice of midwifery in the Philippines and
adopt such measures as may be deemed necessary for the maintenance of the standards and ethics of
the profession; and 
(g) to adopt an official seal to authenticate its official documents. chan robles virtual law library

The Board shall exercise these powers and duties in accordance with Presidential Decree No.
223.chanrobles virtual law library 

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Sec. 6. Compensation of Board Members. — The Chairman and the Members of the Board shall receive
the same compensation granted to the Chairman and members of the boards of similar nature as
provided for in the General Appropriations Act. chan robles virtual law library
Sec. 7. Removal of Board Members. — Any member of the Board may be removed from office by the
President, upon the recommendation of the Professional Regulation Commission, for neglect of duty,
incompetence or for unprofessional, immoral or dishonorable conduct, after having been given the
opportunity to defend himself in a proper administrative investigation conducted by the
Commission.cralaw 
Sec. 8. Supervision of the Board and Custodian of Its Records. — The members of the Board shall be
under the general supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission. All records, including
examination papers, examination results, minutes of deliberation, records of administrative cases and
investigations of the Board shall be kept by the Commission.
Sec. 9. Rules and Regulations. — Subject to the approval of the Commission, the Board shall set ethical
and professional standards for the practice of midwifery and adopt such rules and regulations as may be
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Such standards, rules and regulations shall take effect
thirty (30) days after publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.cralaw 
Sec. 10. Annual Report. — The Board shall submit an annual report to the Commission at the end of each
calendar year, giving a detailed report of its activities and proceedings during the year. Other information
or data may be requested by the Commission as often as may be necessary and practicable.cralaw 
ARTICLE III 
EXAMINATION AND REGISTRATION OF MIDWIVES 

Sec. 11. Examination Required. — All applicants for registration to the practice of midwifery in the
Philippines shall be required to undergo an examination as required for in this Act.chanrobles virtual law
library 

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Sec. 12. Scope of Examinations. — The scope of examinations for the practice of midwifery shall consist
of the following: 

(a) Infant care and feeding; chan robles virtual law library

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(b) Obstetrical anatomy and physiology; 
(c) Principles of bacteriology as applied to midwifery practice; 
(d) Obstetrics;chan robles virtual law library
(e) Midwifery procedures; 
(f) Domiciliary midwifery; 
(g) Community hygiene and first aid; 
(h) Nutrition;
(i) Ethics of midwifery practice; 
(j) Primary health care; 
(k) Professional Growth and Development; 
(l) Family planning; and 
(m) Other subjects within the Board may deem necessary for addition or inclusion from time to time.

Sec. 13. Prerequisite and Qualifications of Applicants for Examination. — In order to be admitted to the
midwifery examination, an applicant shall, at the time of filing of his/her application therefor, establish to
the satisfaction to the Board that he/she: 

(a) is in good health and of good moral character; and chan robles virtual law library
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(b) is a graduate of midwifery in a government recognized and duly accredited institution.chanrobles
virtual law library 

At the time of the issuance of a certificate of registration, the applicant shall be a citizen of the Philippines
and at least eighteen (18) years of age.

Sec. 14. Schools of Midwifery. — To be recognized as a duly accredited and legally constituted institution
for midwifery training as provided in this Act, a school of midwifery shall have a permit from the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS). The school shall have at least fifty (50) maternity
beds and affiliated with an accredited hospital duly accredited by an authorized government agency or
instrumentality.chanrobles virtual law library 

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The school shall have a minimum ratio of one (1) clinical instructor to twelve (12) students in the hospital
and in the community.chanrobles virtual law library 
Before allowing a student to graduate, the school shall satisfactory show to the Department of Education,
Culture and Sports (DECS) or other authorized government agencies that the student has completed the
course in midwifery as prescribed by the DECS or other duly authorized government agencies, and that
during the training, the student has personally attended at least a total of twenty (20) deliveries in the
hospital and in its domiciliary services.cralaw 
Sec. 15. Qualification of Faculty. — The faculty shall have academic preparation appropriate to teaching
assignment, as follows: 
(a) At least a bachelor's degree holder or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.); 
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(b) Proof of competence in the field of specialization assigned to him; and 
(c) A registered nurse or registered midwife in the Philippines with at least one (1) year of satisfactory
teaching experience or one (1) year of efficient performance in maternity ward/community: Provided, That
a registered midwife may be allowed to follow-up student midwives in the community ward provided she
has at least two (2) years of experience in the area of assignment and has undergone training in the
supervision of students. 

Sec. 16. Ratings in the Board of Examination. — To be qualified as having passed the Board Examination
for midwives, a candidate must obtain a general rating of seventy-five percent (75%) in the written test
with no grade lower than fifty percent (50%) in any subject.chanrobles virtual law library 

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Sec. 17. Report of the Results of Examination. — The Board shall, within one hundred twenty (120) days
after the examination, report the ratings obtained by each candidate to the Commissioner of the
Professional Regulations Commission. chan robles virtual law library
Sec.  18. Issuance of Certificate. — Certificate of Registration as midwife shall, upon payment of the
required fees, be issued to any applicant who passes the examination. Every certificate of registration
shall show full name of registrant, have a serial number, bear the signatures of the members of the Board,
be attested by the Secretary of the Board, and be duly authenticated by the official seal of the
Board.cralaw 
The issuance of a certificate of registration by the Board to the registrant shall be evidence that the
person named herein is entitled to all rights and privileges of a registered midwife until said certificate, for
just cause, is suspended temporarily or revoked.cralaw 
Sec. 19. Registration of Nurse-Midwife. — Certification of registration may be issued to registered nurses
who pass the examination for midwives: Provided, That the nurse, before being allowed to take
examination show evidence to the Board of having actually handled twenty (20) delivery cases as certified
to by the director or chief of a duly registered or recognized hospital, or by the proper municipal, city, or
provincial health officer.
Sec.  20. Fees of Examination and Registration. — Applicants for examination for the practice of
midwifery shall pay an examination fee as prescribed by the Professional Regulation Commission.cralaw 
Sec.  21. Inhibition Against Practice of Midwifery. — No person shall practice or offer to practice midwifery
in the Philippines, as defined in this Act, without holding a valid certificate of registration and a
professional license as midwife.cralaw 
Sec.  22. Foreign Reciprocity. — No midwife who is a citizen, subject or national of a foreign country shall
be granted any of the rights and privileges under this Act unless he or she shows to the satisfaction of the
Board that the country of which he or she is a citizen, subject or national, permits within its territorial limits
on the same basis as the citizen, subject or national of such country: Provided, That the requisite for
admission to midwifery school and for graduation in said country are substantially the same as those in
this country.
Sec.  23. Practice of Midwifery Defined. — The practice of midwifery consist in performing or rendering, or
offering to perform or render, for a fee, salary, or other reward or compensation, services requiring an
understanding of the principles and application of procedures and techniques in the supervision and care
of women during pregnancy, labor and puerperium management of normal deliveries, including the
performance of internal examination during labor except when patient is with antenatal bleeding; health
education of the patient, family and community; primary health care services in the community, including
nutrition and family planning in carrying out the written order of physicians with regard to antenatal, intra-
natal and post-natal care of the normal pregnant mother in giving immunization, including oral and
parenteral dispensing of oxytocic drug after delivery of placenta, suturing parietal lacerations to control
bleeding, to give intravenous fluid during obstetrical emergencies provided they have been trained for that
purpose; and may inject Vitamin K to the newborn: Provided, however, That this provision shall not apply
to students in midwifery schools who perform midwifery service under the supervision of their instructors,
nor to emergency cases.chan robles virtual law library
Sec.  24. Refusal to Issue Certificate of Registration. — The Board shall refuse to issue a certificate of
registration to any person convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of any criminal offense involving
moral turpitude, and to any person guilty of immoral or dishonorable conduct. The Board shall give the
applicant a written statement setting forth the reason or reasons for its action, which statement shall be
incorporated in the records of the Board.cralaw 
Sec.  25. Revocation and Suspension of Certificates. — The Board shall have the power to revoke or
suspend the validity of a certificate of registration of a midwife for any of the causes mentioned in the
preceding section, or for unprofessional conduct, malpractice, incompetence or serious ignorance or
negligence, assisting or performing abortion in the practice of midwifery or for making use of fraud, deceit
or false statements to obtain a certificate of registration.cralaw 
From the decision of the Board, appeal may be taken to the Professional Regulation Commission which
decision shall be final.cralaw 
Sec.  26. Reissuance of Revoked Certificates and Replacement of Lost Certificate. — The Board may, for
reasons of equity and justice and upon proper application therefor, issue another copy of the certificate
upon payment of dues, and in so doing, it may exempt the applicant from the requisite
examination.cralaw 
ARTICLE IV 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 

Sec.  27. Penal Provision. — Any person who shall practice midwifery in the Philippines within the
meaning of this Act without a certificate of registration issued in accordance herewith, or any person
presenting or using as his/her own certificate of registration of another, or any person giving any false or
forged evidence to the Professional Regulation Commission in order to secure a certificate of registration,
or any person using a revoked or suspended certificate of registration or any person assuming, using or
advertising, as a registered midwife or a registered nurse-midwife or appending to his/her name the
letters "R.M." without having been conferred such title by the Professional Regulation Commission or
advertising any title description tending to convey the impression that he/she is a registered midwife, shall
be guilty of misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to a fine of not less than Ten thousand
pesos (P10,000.00) nor more than Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00), or to suffer imprisonment for a
period of not less than two (2) years nor more than seven (7) years, or both such fine and imprisonment
at the discretion of the court. chan robles virtual law library

chan robles virtual law library

The aforementioned penalty shall likewise be imposed upon any person found guilty of violation of any
rule and regulation issued pursuant to the provisions of this Act.chanrobles virtual law library 
Sec.  28. Repealing Clause. — Republic Act Numbered Two Thousand Six Hundred and Forty-four is
hereby repealed and all laws, decree, orders, instructions, rules and regulations and other issuances or
parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are likewise repealed or amended accordingly.cralaw 
Sec.  29. Separability Clause. — If for any reason, any part or section of this Act shall be declared
unconstitutional or invalid, other sections or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall
continue to be in full force and effect.