Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE MARLYN B. ALONTE 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Recent and widely-publicized incidents of tourists encountering medical emergencies have brought out in-
to public light the acute lack of adequate basic trauma care, first aid, and baseline general medical care ex-
pected of tourism destinations open to both international and domestic visitors. 
Underlying this problem and situation is the absence of Department of Tourism standards for medical fa-
cilities in resorts. The current standards, put in place in May 2012, only provide for a "first aid facility with 
trained staff on site" in the wellness category of the standards. Nothing else. This is unacceptable and 
should not be allowed to persist. 
To address this oversight and glaring gap, this bill establishes in every Department of Health regional med-
ical center at least ten (10) trauma and emergency care field facilities in cities and municipalities where 
there are clusters of tourism resorts. 
This bill authorizes the Department of Budget and Management to include funding for trauma and emer-
gency medical care facilities in the Local Government Support Fund. 
This bill also requires the Department of Tourism and Department of Health to jointly develop standards 
for trauma and emergency medical care for all three-star, four-star, and five-star resorts to ensure that all 
these resorts will have such facilities. These standards must be comparable to minimum international 
benchmarks within Southeast Asia. 
This bill further enables the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to prioritize, 
formulate and approve an infrastructure program to build the DOH-operated and privately-operated 
trauma and emergency care field facilities. This bill also tasks the DOH, TIEZA, and DOT to introduce 
emergency care and the applicability in the Philippines of international emergency health care insurance of 
foreign visitors. 
The Philippines welcomed over 7.1 million foreign tourists in 2018, compared to 6.6 million in 2017, and 
5.96 million in 2016. We need many trauma and emergency care facilities for these foreign visitors and for 
the millions more Filipinos who travel to the tourism destinations of their own country. 
Considering the foregoing, swift passage of this bill is sought. 
 REP. MARLYN B. ALONTE 
Lone District of Biñan      
August 2, 2022
4:53 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE MARLYN B. ALONTE 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING REMOTE TRAUMA AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE OUTPOSTS, 
STANDARDS FOR TRAUMA AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE AT TOURISM DESTINATIONS, 
AND THE APPLICABILITY OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CARE INSURANCE IN THE PHILIP-
PINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assem-
bled: 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Tourism Sector Trauma and Emergency 
Medical Care Act. " 
Sec. 2. Department of Health Regional Remote Trauma Outposts. Remote Trauma and Emergency 
Medical Care Outposts shall be established as outreach operating units of all Department of Health region-
al medical centers. Each regional medical center shall have least ten (10) RTEMC Outposts. The Tourism 
Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority shall build and equip these RTEMC Outposts in accordance 
with international standards for similar facilities in Southeast Asia. 
      Sec. 3. Standards for Trauma and Emergency Medical Care in Tourism Destinations and Resorts. 
The Department of Health and Department of Tourism shall jointly develop standards for trauma and 
emergency medical care for all three-star, four-star, and five-star resorts to ensure that all these resorts 
will have such facilities. These standards shall include affordable health insurance or health maintenance 
organization (HMO) coverage for all resort clients. These sets of standards must be comparable to mini-
mum international benchmarks within Southeast Asia. 
The DOH and DOT shall also establish standards of trauma and emergency medical care applicable 
to the different classes of cities and municipalities nationwide. The Department of Budget and Manage-
ment shall include funding for trauma and emergency medical care facilities in the Local Government 
Support Fund. 
Sec. 4. Role of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. The Tourism Infrastruc-
ture and Enterprise Zone Authority shall prioritize, formulate, approve, and implement an infrastructure 
program to build DOH-operated and privately-owned and operated trauma and emergency care field fa-
cilities nationwide. 
Sec. 5. Rapid Emergency Transport, and International Health Care Coverage. The Department of 
Health, Department of Tourism, and Department of Foreign Affairs shall develop and cause the implemen-
tation of measures, linkages, projects, and international executive agreements: 
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1) to operationalize rapid emergency medical transport services in the Philippines and similar ser-
vices for the transport of patients to medical facilities outside of the Philippines; and 
2) to enable international health insurance and health maintenance organization coverage, wheth-
er government or by private health care providers, acquired overseas for application to covered 
beneficiaries in the Philippines through licensed health insurance or health maintenance organ-
izations in the Philippines. 
Sec. 6. Implementing Guidelines, Rules and Regulations. The Department of Tourism, Department 
of Health, and Department of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with the Insurance Commission and stake-
holders’ organizations in the tourism and health care sectors, shall approve the implementing guidelines, 
rules, and regulations not later than ninety (90) days after this Act takes effect. 
 
Sec. 7. Appropriations. Funding of this Act shall be included in the annual general appropriations. 
The TIEZA, jointly with the Department of Finance, may also secure augmentation, long-term funding 
from foreign grants and technical assistance, and through the issuance of government bonds. 
 
Sec. 8. Separability. - If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the 
remaining parts or provisions not affected shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, and administrative orders or parts thereof in-
consistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
Sec. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
online version of the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation or with established 
internet website presence. 
                          Approved.