Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY “HORI” G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
PhilHealth’s critical mandate is to have sustainable fund management to ensure the 
continuous delivery of health care services. Hence, news pertaining to PhilHealth’s 
alleged anomalies in the irregular and illegal disbursements of the Interim 
Reimbursement Mechanism alarmed the public. These issues threaten the very life of 
the institution and its supposed health insurance coverage for Filipinos. 
The National Health Insurance Program, expanded through the recent enactment of 
the Universal Health Care Law, was established to provide health insurance coverage 
and ensure affordable, acceptable, available, and accessible health care services for 
all citizens of the Philippines. 
This proposal deems it proper that the Chairman of the Board should be the Secretary 
of Finance and not the Secretary of Health. It is the Secretary of Finance that is more 
suited to ensure that the program includes a sustainable system of funds constitution, 
collection, management, and disbursement for financing the availment of a basic 
minimum package and other supplementary packages of health insurance benefits by 
a progressively expanding proportion of the population.  
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is most earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY “HORI” G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
September 13, 2022
8:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY “HORI” G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT 
AMENDING SECTION 13 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11223,  
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE ACT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Section 13 of Republic Act 11223 is hereby amended to read as 
follows:  
Section 13. PhilHealth Board of Directors. – 
(a) The PhilHealth Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board, is
hereby reconstituted to have a maximum of thirteen (13) members, consisting of 
the following: (1) five (5) ex officio members, namely: the Secretary of [Health] 
FINANCE, Secretary of Social Welfare and Development, Secretary of Budget 
and Management, Secretary of [Finance] HEALTH, Secretary of Labor and 
Employment; (2) three (3) expert panel members with expertise in public health, 
management, finance, and health economics; and (3) five (5) sectoral panel 
members, representing the direct contributors, indirect contributors, employers 
group, health care providers to be endorsed by their national associations of 
health care institutions and health care professionals, and representative of the 
elected local chief executives to be endorsed by the League of Provinces of the 
Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines and League of Municipalities of 
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the Philippines: Provided, That at least one (1) of the expert panel members and 
at least two (2) of the sectoral panel members are women.  
 
The sectoral and expert panel members must be Filipino citizens and of good 
moral character.  
 
The expert panel members must: (i) be of recognized probity and independence 
and must have distinguished themselves professionally in public, civic or 
academic service; (ii) be in the active practice of their professions for at least 
seven (7) years; and (iii) not be appointed within one (1) year after losing in the 
immediately preceding elections, whether regular or special.  
 
(b) The [ Secretary of Health ] SECRETARY OF FINANCE shall be an ex officio 
[nonvoting] Chairperson of the Board. THE SECRETARY OF FINANCE MUST 
BE PRESENT AND ACT AS THE CHAIRMAN IN ALL BOARD ACTIONS AND 
CANNOT BE REPRESENTED BY AN ALTERNATE OR REPRESENTATIVE.  
 
(c) All appointive members of the Board shall be required to undergo training in 
health care financing, health systems, costing health services and HTA prior to 
the start of their term. Noncompliance shall be a ground for dismissal.  
 
Within thirty (30) days following the effectivity of this Act, the Governance Commission 
for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG) shall, in accordance with 
the provisions of Republic Act No. 10149, promulgate the nomination and selection 
process for appointive members of the Board with a clear set of qualifications, 
credentials, and recommendation from the concerned sectors.  
 
SECTION 2. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances or 
regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act shall hereby be revised or 
amended accordingly.  
 
SECTION 3. Reparability Clause. - If any part of this Act is declared unconstitutional 
or invalid such parts or provisions thereof not so declared shall remain valid and 
subsisting.  


 
SECTION 4. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation.  
 
Approved,