House Bill 5153 – The Chiropractic Act of 2022

Since 2008 the Philippine elected representatives have been presented with a series of Chiropractic Acts. The current version is essentially the same as its predecessors. What matters today is that following the establishment of a formal course of study at the University of Makati, there can be no further delays and this organization has been reactivated to rally chiropractic patients from all over the Philippines to lobby their elected representatives to bruing this act to the floor.

History of the bill:

This bill was initially placed before the Senate in 2008 without any actions takes until the CPFA-P became aware in 2013 of the Chiropractic Act pending so many years.  This prompted a senate committee hearing Tuesday, August 5, 2014 and we are happy to say that the Senate hearing was a small success! When the government changed again the bill was reintroduced in 2016 iand sadly outcomes remained unchanged.

In October 2016 a follow up committee hearing on the new House Bill 629 was held with the attendance of several new stakeholders from the medical profession. The outcome as stated by the Senator was: “We hear your views and yet, the chiropractors are here and they need to be regulated.” (end of story) An invitation was made to have additional inputs from all represented parties come to a consensus so the bill can move forward. Sadly, time has passed and no meetings have been held to advance the bill. Paciente!

In August 2022, Congressman Luis Ocampo was asked by the University of Makati to take up the mantle and submit the Chiropractic Act in Congress. Two years have passed and the delays in starting the 6-year chiropractic course are now making the matter urgent. Graduates will need to have the legistation passed in both houses, signed by the President and the Bioard of Chiropractic Examiners implemented in time to prepare for the Board Exam of the first graduating class in 2030.

Together We Can! Contact all represntatives to support the Chiropractic Act of 2022.

Chiropractic was well represented in the 2014 public hearing with the following organizations:

• Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC)
• National Chiropractic Certification Committee (NCCC)
• Association of Professional Chiropractic in the Philippines Inc. (APCPI)
• Chiropractic Diplomatic Corps, PH
• Chiropractic Patients Federation of Asia- Philippines (CPFA-P)

Everyone came together united and showed support on the said Bill. Each organization had representatives that were able to express to Sen. Trillanes and the audience its desire to regulate this Act, so as to protect the public from unscrupulous misrepresentation of the profession by people of lesser or no formal training, to provide easier access to its health benefits, and support chiropractic education in the Philippines.