TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
S'S : c(!.
25 JUL 17 P4 :28
SENATE
S. No. 712
RliCE!
Introduced by Senator Raff/ T. Tulfo
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR FREE DENTAL, VISION, AND HEARING ASSISTIVE DEVICES, 
INCLUDING DENTURES, PRESCRIPHON GLASSES, AND HEARING AIDS, TO 
SENIOR CITIZENS AND INDIGENTS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill aims to address the increasing number of senior citizens and indigents 
who suffer from visual and hearing impairments, as well as poor oral function and 
appearance. It is in line with Article II, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution, which states 
that the State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity 
and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that 
provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, 
and an improved quality of life for all. Furthermore, Article XIII, Section 11 of the 1987 
Constitution provides that the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive 
approach to health development, which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health, 
and other social services available to all people at affordable cost, giving priority to the 
needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children.
According to the 2018 Philippine Eye Disease Study, 1.98% of Filipinos experience 
visual impairments, primarily caused by cataracts, uncorrected refractive errors, 
glaucoma, and maculopathy.1 Alongside this, a 2018 National Health Survey stated that 
approximately 73 million Filipinos were experiencing dental caries and tooth decay.2
1 https://www.peri.ph/philippine-eve-disease-studv
2 https://www.philstar.eom/nation/2023/05/25/2268760/73-million-pinovs-sufferinQ-tooth-decav


Lastly, in a 2011 study done by the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine, it 
found that approximately 15% of the Philippine population experiences moderate or 
worse hearing loss. The study found that the prevalence was 7.5% among children, 
14.7% among adults aged 18 to 65, and 49.1% among those aged 65 and older.3
Depending on the features or type required, dentures, prescription eyeglasses, 
and hearing aids come at varying prices. Basic prescription glasses usually include both 
the frame and lenses and are among the more accessible options. However, for many 
senior citizens and indigents, even these remain out of reach, as glasses are often 
considered a luxury rather than a necessity. Similarly, dentures are often too costly, 
prompting individuals to focus on meeting their daily needs instead, even if it means 
sacrificing their confidence and comfort. Hearing aids, in particular, can also be expensive, 
often amounting to hundreds of thousands of pesos, even though they are necessary for 
communication and development as well as for maintaining one's safety.
For a minimum wage earner, a senior citizen, or an indigent person, these devices 
would often amount to more than a month's worth of work, excluding the basic needs 
required to sustain a person, let alone a family. Acquiring these assistive devices on their 
own is often not an option due to financial constraints. This inaccessibility can lead to 
lower self-esteem, miscommunication, and difficulty in securing employment, all of which 
contribute to a diminished quality of life.
This proposed bill seeks to make these assistive devices free and accessible to 
senior citizens and indigents so that their impairments will not hinder them from 
opportunities and experiences one may have without such limitations.
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
FFY T. TULFO
1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.Qov/32608243/


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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S. No.
TIME:
BILLS
Introduced by Senator Raffy T. Tulfo
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR FREE DENTAL, VISION, AND HEARING ASSISTIVE DEVICES, 
INCLUDING DENTURES, PRESCRIPTION GLASSES, AND HEARING AIDS, TO 
SENIOR CITIZENS AND INDIGENTS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress Assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Free Health Aids for Seniors
Act."
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to adopt an integrated 
and comprehensive approach to health development that ensures the availability of 
essential goods, health services, and other social services to all people. In line witb its 
commitment to accessible and inclusive healthcare, the State shall provide assistive 
devices such as dentures, hearing aids, and prescription glasses. Towards this end, the 
State shall give full support to the improvement of the total well-being of senior citizens 
and indigents.
Sec. 3. Free Dental, Vision, and Hearing Assistive Devices. - The Philippine Health 
Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), 
shall develop and implement a special benefit package that shall fully cover the cost of 
assistive devices, including but not limited to complete or partial dentures, prescription 
eyeglasses, and hearing aids, for qualified senior citizens and indigents.
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Medical and dental consultations, including the prescription of the assistive devices
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covered under this Act, shall be conducted in the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), dental, or
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ophthalmology departments, or, in the case of senior citizens, through the geriatric center
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of national or local government hospitals.
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Sec. 4. Persons Covered. - This act shall cover Senior Citizens referring to any
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citizen of the Philippines who is at least sixty (60) years of age; and Indigent Persons,
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referring to individuals with no visible means of income, or whose income is deemed
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insufficient for family subsistence, as determined by the Department of Social Welfare
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and Development (DSWD).
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Sec. 5. Appropriations. -The appropriations necessary to implement the provisions
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of this Act and its implementing rules shall be included in the respective budgets of the
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DOH, the PhilHealth, and the DSWD under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
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Sec. 6. Impiementing Rules and Regulations. - Within thirty (30) days from the
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approval of this Act, the DOH and the PhilHealth, in coordination with the National
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Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), the DSWD, and other relevant agencies, shall
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jointly formulate rules and guidelines necessary for the proper implementation and
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enforcement of this Act.
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Sec. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders issuance, circulars, rules and regulation
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or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed
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or modified accordingly.
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Sec. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
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unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provision hereof not affected thereby shall
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continue to be in full force and effect.
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Sec. 9. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
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in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,