Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Queson City, Metro Manila

EIGHTHEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

H. B. No. 3561

Introduced by Representative TEODORICO “NONONG” T. HARESCO, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and
promote the right to health o the Filipino people and instill health consciousness among them.

The Ibajay District Hospital was established under Republic Act No. 2759 on June 19,
1960 with a bed capacity of twenty-five (25). From a remodeled Puericulture Center Building
near the town hall of the Municipality of Ibajay where it was housed, it opened its doors to the
public on March 1963 as Ibajay Emergency Hospital, catering to out-patients only. In June 1963,
with the filling up of the required number of personnel, the former Ibajay Emergency Hospital
started admitting patients. Ten years later, sometime in 1974, the hospital was transferred to its
present location at Barangay Agbajo, Ibajay, Aklan, along the national highway, just a kilometer
west from its former site. The Ibajay Emergency Hospital was later renamed as Ibajay District
Hospital in the early 1980's, serving also the other towns in the western district of Aklan
Province.

With the implementation of the Local Government Code of 1991, the administration and
supervision of the Ibajay District Hospital were devolved to the local government unit of the
Province of Aklan in January 1993. Prior to the devolution, Ibajay District Hospital operated as a
twenty-five (25) bed Level II hospital. However, Ibajay District Hospital's licensing category
was downgraded to level I a year after the devolution to the Province of Aklan.

The Ibajay District Hospital is the Core Referral Hospital of five (5) municipalities in the
newly-created Second (24) District of Aklan Province, namely Tangalan, Ibajay, Nabas, Malay,
and Buruanga with a catchment population of 179891 based on the 2015 census. It also serves
the residents of the five (5) barangays of the neighboring town of Pandan, Antique. Hence, there
is an urgent demand to improve the health care services of the Ibajay District Hospital by
converting it into the Western Aklan General Hospital and increasing its authorized bed
capacity to two hundred (200), to meet the increasing medical needs of our beloved Aklanons.

The passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

~=5 —
\a00 \: \A :
TEODORICO “NONONG?” T. ESCO, JR.


Semi svevn—

i
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

23
24

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session

H. B. No. 3561

Introduced by Representative TEODORICO “NONONG” T. HARESCO, JR.

AN ACT
CONVERTING THE IBAJAY DISTRICT HOSPITAL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF
IBAJAY, PROVINCE OF AKLAN INTO A TWO-HUNDRED BED CAPACITY
HOSPITAL TO BE KNOWN AS THE WESTERN AKLAN GENERAL HOSPITAL,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Western Aklan General Hospital.”

SEC. 2. The Ibajay District Hospital shall be converted and renamed into the Western
‘Aklan General Hospital, with its authorized bed capacity to be increased from twenty-five (25)
to two hundred (200), which shall be implemented for a period of not more than three (3) years
from the approval of this Act.

SEC. 3. The amount necessary for the establishment and initial operation, including the
acquisition of additional personnel, medical equipment and facilities, and the construction of
needed infrastructure of the Western Aklan General Hospital shall be included by the Secretary
of Health in the Department of Health’s projects and programs proportional to the successful
establishment, manning, provisioning and equipping of the Western Aklan General Hospital,
with the initial appropriation to be charged against the current year’s appropriations and
thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its continued operations shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 4. All laws, presidential decrees, letters of instruction, rules and regulations that
are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 5. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the same shall
not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions not affected thereby.

SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days upon its publication in at least two (2)
newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,