SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 1573
’17 
AUG 30 
A10:01
FiifCL.viit'u..
Introduced by Senator SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING 
AN 
EMERGENCY 
MEDICAL 
SERVICES 
SYSTEM, 
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT, SUPERVISION AND REGULATION OF 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROFESSION, 
AND 
APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Constitution mandates the State to adopt “an integrated and comprehensive 
approach to health development...to make essential goods, health and other social 
services available to all the people at affordable cost."
Various laws have already been enacted in recent years, not to mention several 
policies implemented, to realize this constitutional mandate of achieving universal 
healthcare.
And the foregoing measure aligns with this goal, as it aims to establish, 
institutionalize and strengthen an emergency medical services system (EMSS) 
throughout the country. 
Such EMSS would constitute the overarching policy 
framework governing the provision of emergency medicine (EM) in each of the 
country’s Local Government Units (LGUs).
Emergency medicine is a specialized discipline in the medical field focused on 
giving timely and coordinated health and safety services to victims of sudden illness 
or injury, prior to them reaching hospitals, health centers or other brick-and-mortar 
healthcare facilities.
In fact, according to papers delivered at the October 2013 Asian Conference on 
Emergency Medicine, the Philippines was one of the earliest among participating 
countries who officially recognized pre-hospital EM as a separate discipline (1988)


and instituted post-graduate EM exams (1990)1 to recognize and certify EM 
physicians and nurses.
Despite these early developments however, EM in the country has fallen behind, 
as a national society for EM was established only in 2011. According to data cited at 
the 2013 Asian Conference on Emergency Medicine, the Philippines only has 3,300 
recognized Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel. And out of a reported 
1,795 hospitals in the country, only 200 (or 11 percent) can be considered 
“emergency hospitals"—that is, facilities that are capable of providing quality EM 
care.
The foregoing measure aims to reverse this situation, by mandating LGUs to 
establish emergency dispatch centers with adequate and qualified personnel 
equipped with emergency transport vehicles like ambulances.
A National EMSS Advisory Committee, co-chaired by the Department of Health 
(DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), shall be 
created to ensure the establishment of a nationwide EMS network.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is also called on to 
develop a working system for a national emergency number, such as the 911 
emergency hotline rolled out under the Duterte Administration.
The measure also stipulates that each LGU, hospital and healthcare facility 
should have a minimum number of positions for Emergency Medical Technicians 
(EMTs), the salaries of which should be included in the annual financial requirements 
of their respective institutions.
As more
seek the swift passage
work is put into improving the country’s health system, we earnestly 
\ passage of this measure.
ONNY ANGARA
1 Pek, Jen Heng et al. 2016. "Emergency medicine as a specialty in Asia." Acute Medicine & Surgery, 3: 65-73. Accessible via 
http://onlinelibrarv.wilev.eom /doi/10.1002/am s2.154/abstract. [Accessed on June 20, 2017].


in
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 1573
f  I ' . ) 
. 
• i M - '
*17 
AUG 3 0  
A10 -01
Rh'.. -
Introduced by Senator SONNY ANGARA 1 1
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING 
AN 
EMERGENCY 
MEDICAL 
SERVICES 
SYSTEM, 
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT, SUPERVISION AND REGULATION OF 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROFESSION, 
AND 
APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. Title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Emergency Medical
2 
Services System (EMSS) Act."
3 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
4 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness
5 
among them. Pursuant to this national policy, the government shall institutionalize a
6 
comprehensive, accessible and integrated system of emergency medical services.
7 
SEC. 3. Objectives. -  In support of State policy, this Act:
8 
a. Mandates the development and institutionalization of EMSS at the national
9 
and local levels;
10 
b. Creates a national EMSS Advisory Committee;
11 
c. Establishes the national standards for the provision of Emergency Medical
12 
Services (EMS);
13 
d. Ensures the provision of qualified EMS personnel;
14 
e. Mandates the adoption and use of a National Universal Emergency
15 
Number; and
1


f. Establishes support services to emergency medical services.
2 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. -  For purposes of this Act, the following terms are
3 
hereby defined;
4 
a. Accredited Training Institution refers to a training institution offering
5 
training programs, courses and continuing education for EMS personnel
6 
that meet the standards established by the EMS Advisory Committee in
7 
coordination with physicians, Emergency Medicai Technicians, nurses,
8 
and other health care professionals, TESDA, and CHED, among others,
9 
and are duly registered in good standing with the EMS Advisory
10 
Committee
11 
b. Automated External Defibrillator (AED) refers to a portable device that
12 
checks the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try
13 
to restore a normal rhythm. AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac
14 
arrest (SCA)
15 
c. Command and Control refers to the muiti-faceted supervision or medical
16 
oversight by the EMS medical director in handling the processes of EMS
17 
operations that may affect patient care directly through provision of orders
18 
to an EMS personnel over the radio, by phone, or on-scene; or indirectly
19 
through the development and promulgation of protocols, the education and
20 
credentialing of EMS personnel, the conduction of quality improvement
21 
activities, and the increased advocacy of appropriate EMS for the patients
22 
d. Emergency Medical Dispatch refers to the immediate identification and
23 
prioritization of emergency situations, the timely dispatch of appropriate
24 
resources, providing essential pre-arrival medical instructions and full
25 
endorsement to the receiving hospital. Dispatch encompasses all aspects
26 
of communication including request processing, coordination and support,
27 
documentation and monitoring
28 
e. Emergency Medical Service Personnel refers to unique health care
29 
personnel involved in the practice of pre-hospital care, which includes
30 
provision of medical care, systematic coordination and transportation of
31 
patients with medical direction. They may include Medical First Responder
32 
(MFR), 
Ambulance 
Care 
Assistants 
(ACA), 
Emergency 
Medical


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Technicians (EMT), Paramedics, Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) 
and EMS Medical Director.
f. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) refer to the network of services 
coordinated to provide aid and medical assistance from the scene to the 
most appropriate and definitive health facilities, involving personnel trained 
in stabilization, transportation, and treatment of trauma or medical cases in 
the pre-hospital setting.
g. Emergency Medical Services System (EMSS) refers to a comprehensive 
system which provides the arrangement of personnel, facilities, and 
equipment for effective, coordinated, and timely delivery of health and 
safety services to victims of sudden illness or injury in the pre-hospital 
setting. The conceptual framework of the system revolves around five 
components and core services of pre-hospital management namely: 
Emergency 
Medical 
Dispatch, 
Emergency 
Response 
and 
Care, 
Emergency Transport, Inter-agency referral and Transport, and Command 
and Control.
h. Emergency Response and Care refers to the arrival of resources at the 
scene and the timely initiation and provision of appropriate interventions
i. 
Emergency Transport refers to transporting the patient to the most 
appropriate and definitive health facility with continued provision of care 
and appropriate interventions en route
j. 
Emergency Medical Vehicles refer to an ambulance or other vehicles for 
emergency medical care which provides, a minimum, (a) a driver’s 
compartment: (b) a patient compartment to accommodate an emergency 
medical technician (EMT) and a patient so positioned that said patient can 
be given intensive life-support during transit; (c) equipment and supplies 
for emergency care at the scene as well as during transport: (d) two-way 
radio, telephone or electronic communication with the primary medical 
services 
provider, 
and 
when 
necessary, 
equipment 
for 
light 
rescue/extrication procedures. The emergency medical vehicle shall be so 
designed and constructed to provide the patient with safety and comfort, 
and avoid aggravation of the patient’s injury or illness.
k. Inter-Agency Referral and Transport refers to the transport of patient with 
EMS personnel, if necessary, from one referring facility or agency to
3


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another receiving facility or agency for definitive care, as the patient 
requires, in an event that the services are not available in the referring 
facility
4
5
CHAPTER II
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM
6 
SEC. 5. Emergency Dispatch. -  This Act mandates local government units to
7 
create their Dispatch Centers with adequate and qualified personnel. The Dispatch
8 
Centers shall follow the prescribed guidelines on dispatch protocol.
9 
SEC. 6. Emergency Response and Care. -  This Act ensures the availability of
10 
emergency transport vehicle or ambulance with qualified EMS personnel.
11 
Responders shall follow the prescribed guidelines on emergency response and care.
12 
SEC. 7. Emergency Transport. -  This Act shall follow the prescribed guidelines
13 
of the Department of Health on Ambulance Services. The Philippine Health
14 
Insurance Corporation (PHIC) shall provide coverage for EMS subject to their
15 
policies and guidelines.
16 
SEC. 8. Inter-agency Referral and Transport. -  This Act shall establish the
17 
prescribed protocols / guidelines on inter-agency referral and transport.
18
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SEC. 9. Command and Control. -  This Act mandates the establishment of a 
National Command Center with a functional Universal Emergency Number. All Local 
Government Units shall establish their respective Command Centers with designated 
qualified EMS medical director. Command Centers shall govern the EMS systems 
based on the prescribed operational guidelines. The Command Center can be co­
located with the Dispatch Center.


2
1
CHAPTER III
NATIONAL EMSS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
3 
SEC. 10. Creation of the National EMSS Advisory Committee. -  The National
4 
EMSS Advisory Committee is hereby created under the leadership of the
5 
Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government
6 
(DILG).
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SEC. 11. Membership of the EMSS Advisory Committee. -  The members of 
the EMSS Advisory Committee shall be composed of the Secretary of the DOH as 
Chairperson, and the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local 
Government (DILG) as Co-Chairperson with the following: 
a. Permanent Members
The Chair of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC);
The Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ);
The Secretary of the Department of Education (DEPED);
The Secretary of the Department of Transport (DOT);
The Secretary of the Department of Information, Communication and 
Technology (DICT);
The Director of the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC); 
The Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND);
The Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); 
The Director General of Technical Education and Skills Development 
Authority (TESDA).
I
ii
iv.
V.
VI.
vii.
viii. 
ix.
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b. Members to be appointed by the Secretary of the DOH upon nomination by 
their respective associations
i. 
Two (2) nominees of a national organization representing the EMT 
profession duly registered with the Securities and 
Exchange 
Commission (SEC) and recognized by the DOH;
Four (4) nominees of HEMB, one (1) each from the National Capital 
Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao;
Two (2) registered emergency medical practitioners representing 
Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM);
5
II.
III.


1 
iv. 
One (1) representative from the Philippine Red Cross.
2 
SEC. 12. Term of Office. -  Each member of the EMSS Advisory Committee
3 
shall not serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms. A term shall be for a
4 
period of two (2) years.
5 
SEC. 13. Functions. -  To carry out its mandate, the EMSS Advisory Committee
6 
shall exercise the following functions:
7 
a. Ensure the establishment of a system of networking & coordination among all
8 
existing government health agencies, local government units (LCDs), private
9 
and non-government medical institutions for the effective implementation of
10 
the bill;
11 
b. Ensure the development of national standards for the provision of Emergency
12 
Medical Services; and
13 
c. Determine staffing, duties, qualifications, responsibilities, and functions of the
14 
Secretariat
15 
SEC. 14. The Secretariat. -  The EMSS Advisory Committee shall organize a
16 
Secretariat headed by a person of probity and shall have at least five (5) years
17 
experience in emergency medical services or a related field.
18 
SEC. 15. Meetings. -  The EMSS Advisory Committee shall meet at least once
19 
every quarter and as needed.
20
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CHAPTER IV
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) PERSONNEL
22 
SEC. 16. Creation of Positions for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
23 
Personnel. -  This Act shall create a minimum number of positions for EMS
24 
personnel especially Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in the all local
25 
government units and healthcare facilities, according to their context and needs. The
26 
annual financial requirements needed to pay for the salaries and benefits of EMS
27 
personnel shall be included in the annual general appropriations of the respective
28 
hospitals, agencies and local government units.
6


1 
SEC. 17. Authorized Training Institution. -  Training programs, course, and
2 
continuing education for Emergency Medical Technician may only be conducted in
3 
an institution ha has been granted a Certificate of Program Registration (COPR) by
4 
TESDA, in the case of technical non-degree courses falling under TESDA
5 
jurisdiction, or a Certificate of Accreditation as a Higher Education Institution (HEI) as
6 
well as Program Accreditation by CHED, in the case of degree programs falling
7 
under CHED jurisdiction. The requirements prescribed by the EMSS Advisory
8 
Committee shall serve as the minimum requirement for program registration. The
9 
DOH can provide training programs for EMTs following the standards set by the
10 
EMSS Advisory Committee.
11
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CHAPTER V
EQUIPMENTS AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR EMS
13 
SEC. 18. Emergency Medical Vehicles. -  This Act shall follow the prescribed
14 
guidelines of the Department of Health on the specification and equipage of an
15 
Ambulance Service.
16 
SEC. 19. Adoption of a National Universal Emergency Telephone Number. -
17 
There shall only be one national emergency number to enable the public to access
18 
emergency 
medical 
services 
(911). 
Towards 
this 
end, 
the 
National
19 
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) shall develop a program for the adoption of
20 
a national emergency number with the LGUs and officials responsible for emergency
21 
service and public safety: the telecommunications industry (specifically including the
22 
cellular and other wireless telecommunications service providers): the motor vehicle
23 
manufacturing industry: emergency medical service providers: emergency dispatch
24 
providers: transportation officials: public safety, fire service and law enforcement
25 
officials: consumer groups: and hospital emergency and trauma care personnel
26 
(including emergency physicians, trauma surgeons and nurses).
27 
SEC. 20. Access to Automated External Defibrillators (AED). -  This Act shall
28 
mandate all government/public and private institutions, including malls, parks and


1 
transport stations, to place at least one (1) automated defibrillator in their respective
2 
areas of responsibility.
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4
CHAPTER VI 
OTHER PROVISIONS
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SEC. 21. Appropriations. -  The Secretaries of the Departments concerned shall 
include in their programs the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 22. Separability Clause. -  If any clause, sentence, paragraph or part of 
this Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, 
invalidate or impact any other part of this Act.
SEC. 23. Repealing Clause. -  Any provision of laws, orders, agreements, rules 
or regulations contrary to and inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed, amended 
or modified accordingly.
SEC. 24. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,