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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Eighteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
INTRODUCED BY  
REPRESENTATIVE ROMEO M. JALOSJOS, JR. 
____________________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The City of Dapitan in the Province of Zamboanga del Norte prides in its direct historical 
relation with our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. While his years in Dapitan were marred with the 
pain of exile, they were nonetheless productive in that he had an immense impact and 
contribution to the life of the city. His personal endeavors, especially in opthalmology, inspired 
many a Dapitanon to pursue the same tracks he treaded. In retrospect, his exile in Dapitan was 
providential as it invigorated the life and pursuits of the city. This measure seeking for the 
establishment of the first state-of-the-art public eye care center in the country, therefore, is a 
long overdue homage to Dr. Jose Rizal; and naming an eye care center after him is Dapitan’s 
humble adulation to an opthalmologist par excellence.  
Luke 11:34 says, “The eye is the lamp of your body, when your eye is clear, your whole body 
is full of light, but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.” Indeed, the eye is among 
the most vital parts of the body that needs constant care. It is of equal importance to the other 
vital  parts of the body that has been provided with specialty hospitals, to wit: the Lung Center 
of the Philippines, the Philippine Heart Center, and the National Kidney and Transplant 
Institute.  
It is  the policy of the State to secure the well-being of the people by providing them with 
specialized health services in consonance with constitutional mandate  under Article XIII, 
Section 11of  the 1987 Constitution which provides, “The State shall adopt an integral 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. There shall be priority 
for the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled, women and children.” It is 
unfortunate, however, that up to this very day, our country still has no instituion specializing in 
eye care and treatment of patients with visual impairment, especially to those under privileged 
and less in life.  
The establishment of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center is envisioned to provide comprehensive 
and premium eye care services in our country. It shall also augment eye research and training 
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efforts that will enhance diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of eye impairments and allied 
diseases in the region and the country. 
Studies reveal that a large segment of our population consists of indigent and underprivileged 
citizens who cannot afford quality eye care services. The prevalence of various eye diseases 
and disorders, if not given adequate treatment, will cause disability from visual impairment. 
This will only worsen their economic conditions as their visual disability will adversely affect 
their productivitiy, consequently leaving them in poverty and social dependency.  
The eye is the lamp of the body; and like a well oiled lamp, a sound sight ensures that we 
function to the best of our abilities.Visual impairment also hinder individuals from their full 
potential and directly affecting their quality of life. For this reason, it is imperative of the 
government to provide an eye care institution to curb the prevalence of visual impairment in 
the country 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ROMEO M. JALOSJOS, JR. 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Eighteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
INTRODUCED BY  
REPRESENTATIVE ROMEO M. JALOSJOS, JR. 
____________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
1 
ESTABLISHING 
STATE-OF-THE-ART 
DR. 
JOSE 
RIZAL 
EYE 
CENTER 
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INTEGRATING ITS MEDICAL SERVICES WITHIN DR. JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL 
3 
HOSPITAL 
IN 
DAPITAN 
CITY, 
ZAMBOANGA 
DEL 
NORTE, 
AND 
4 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR   
5 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
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assembled: 
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SECTION 1.  Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “DR. JOSE RIZAL  EYE 
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CENTER ACT.” 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote and protect the 
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right of the people to health by providing specialized health and medical services that will 
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secure their well-being. Toward this end, the State shall established a medical institution that 
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shall provide comprehensive, high quality, affordable and  pro poor specialized medical 
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services for the prevention control and treatment of eye and allied diseases. 
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SEC. 3. Creation of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye  Center. - There is hereby created a body 
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corporate to be known as the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center integrating its medical services within 
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the DR. JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL  in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, but 
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with distinct and separate medical services specialized in eye treatment. 
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SEC. 4. Purposes and Objectives. - The Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center  shall serve the 
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following purposes and objectives: 
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(a) To construct, establish, equip, maintain, administer and operate an eye medical care
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which shall specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation of eye and allied 
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diseases; 
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(b) To undertake, promote, encourage, engage and assist in the medical and scientific
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research relative to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of eye and allied diseases; 
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(c) To enhance awareness, fact-finding investigations and publish, report and
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disseminate information on eye and allied diseases for purposes of diagnosis, treatment,  
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protection, and prevention thereof, and to participate by financing, sponsoring, holding of 
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conventions, conferences, workshop,  seminars and other training programs in eye diseases 
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and/or related thereto locally and abroad; 
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(d) To engage in research, education and training of physicians and  medical staff in the  
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study on eye and allied diseases for a  practical and scientific conduct of medical services to 
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eye patients; and 
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(e) To extend medical services to the general public, especially the poor and the 
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underprivilege that cannot afford for an eye impediment medical treatment. 
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SEC 5. Powers and Functions. - In furtherance of its purposes and objectives, the Dr. 
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Jose Rizal Eye Center, as a corporate in nature operating through its Board of Trustees, shall 
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have the powers pertaining to a juridical person, and is therefore authorized to perform its 
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duties and functions among others, 
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(a) To acquire and hold any property of whatever nature or description, and to dispose 
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of such property under any mode of conveyance or encumbrance; 
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(b) To Contract and be contracted with; 
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(c) To mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of its properties; 
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(d) To solicit and receive donations, endowments and funds in the form of 
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contributions; whether in cash or in kind, from both public and private sectors derived from 
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domestic or foreign source; 
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(e) To open such accounts in banks and other financial institutions, and to disburse such 
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funds or invest the same as the Board may direct to advance or accomplish the purposes or 
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interest of the  Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center; 
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(f) To invite foreign eye specialists and similar  experts to train medical staff of the Dr. 
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Jose Rizal Eye Center; 
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(g) To send physicians and other medical staff of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center to any 
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domestic and foreign  research and medical institutes/universities for an advance 
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training/observations   as the Board may deem necessary to determine its importance; 
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(h) To invest in, and purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, use, lease, grant, 
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mortgage, pledge, sell, assign, convey, transfer, exchange or otherwise deal with, real and/or 
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personal properties of every kind and nature , including shares of stock, bonds, debentures, 
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notes, securities and other evidences of indebtedness or obligations of other corporations 
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whether domestic or foreign, and whether government or private; 
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(i) To obtain loans, borrow funds and/or arrange financing or credit assistance of 
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whatever kind and nature from all sources, whether domestic or foreign and whether 
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government or private, and to mortgage, pledge  or otherwise encumber any of its properties 
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and assets for the purpose of securing or guaranteeing the performance or fulfillment of any 
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obligation it may undertake for itself or other entities in which it may be interested; 
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(j) To  levy, assess and collect  fees, charges and assessments and other fees incurred in 
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medical services as may be necessary and proper to support, finance and maintain its 
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operations, but strictly not to deprived poor patients to avail of an eye medical treatment; and 
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(k) To exercise such other powers and functions as may be necessary or be incidental 
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for the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center. 
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SEC. 6. Board of Trustees. The Dr. Jose Rizal Eye  Center and its functions, activities 
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and properties shall be governed, directed, controlled and administered by a Board of Trustees, 
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hereinafter referred to as the Board, which shall be composed of seven (7) members to 
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appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of  the Secretary, 
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Department of Health 
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The incumbent Chief of Hospital of the Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital in Dapitan 
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City shall automatically be  considered as one of the seven (7)  members of the Board to be 
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appointed by the President of the Philippines. Five (5) of the seven (7) members of the Board 
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shall be an ophthalmologist in profession. 
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The members of the Board shall receive no salary. They shall, however, receive a per 
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diem of not exceeding five (5) thousand pesos for every meeting of the Board in actual 
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attendance. Provided, that the total amount of per diem for all the meetings of the Board in a 
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single month shall not exceed fifty (50) thousand pesos. 
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 The members of the Board shall  serve for a one term  period of four (4) years until 
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their successors shall have been appointed and qualified. Any vacancy in the Board shall be 
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filled by the appointment of the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the 
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Secretary, Department of Health, and the appointment shall serve the unexpired term. 
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        SEC. 7. Powers and Functions of the Board. - The Board shall have the following 
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powers and functions: 
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      (a) To elect a Chairman  from among them, who shall be the presiding officer of the Board; 
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      (b)  To appoint an Executive Officer (EO) of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center who shall serve 
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as the Vice Chairman of the Board; 
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      (c) To formulate programs and policies and adopt measures which are necessary to achieve 
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its goal pertinent to the purpose and objective of this Act; and 
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      (d) A majority consisting of five  (5) members of the present shall constitute a quorum to 
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transact business. Any decision of the majority of such five (5) members present on any matter 
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duly presented  to the Board shall constitute a valid and binding act of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye 
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Center. 
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      SEC. 8. The Executive Officer. - The Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center shall have an Executive 
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Officer, and be known as the Chief Executive Officer with the following powers and functions 
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herein: 
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    (a) To appoint, remove and fix the compensation of the personnel of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye 
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Center, subject to the approval of the Board; 
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    (b)  To  prepare agenda for the meeting  of the Board and submit  for the consideration of the 
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Board policies, guidelines, and  other important measures  may deemed necessary for the 
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effective implementation of the purpose and objective of the Act; 
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    (c)  To execute the policies, guidelines and programs approved by the Board and be 
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responsible for the efficient discharge of management and  operational functions; 
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    (d) To direct and supervise the internal operations and administration of the Dr. Jose Rizal 
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Eye Center; 
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    (e) To execute, on behalf of the Board, all contracts  and agreements which the latter may 
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enter into, and to execute, accomplish, and deliver any and all documents relative to such 
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contracts and agreements, and 
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    (f)  To exercise such other powers and performs such duties as may be vested by the Board. 
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SEC. 9. Organizational Structure and Staffing Composition. - The Board shall 
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determine the organizational structure and staffing composition of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye 
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Center, subject to evaluation and approval by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and of the 
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Organization Position Classification and Compensation Bureau of the Department of Budget 
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and Management (DBM). The Board may reorganize said structure, modify the staffing pattern 
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and create or abolish division, sections or units that existence may no longer needed of the Dr. 
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Jose Rizal Eye  Center. 
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SEC. 10. Property of the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye  Center. - The property of the Dr. Jose 
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Rizal Eye  Center shall consist of such real, personal, mixed, and other type of property, now 
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owned or reserved for, or may hereafter be given, donated, acquired, transferred or conveyed to 
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the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye  Center by the Philippine Government upon its approval of this Act, its 
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branches and instrumentalities, other local government units, any foreign government, as well 
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as by trusts, foundations, corporations, or persons, alien or domestic, in order to carry out its 
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purposes and objectives as set forth herein. Properties acquired by the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye 
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Center are distinct and separate from the existing properties of the Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial 
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Hospital where the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center integrated its medical services within the Dr. 
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Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital. 
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SEC. 11. Government Contribution. - The Government shall constitute the necessary 
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land,  building, equipment and facilities to the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center, and shall pay such 
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obligations for real, personal and mixed properties arising from such undertaking under a 
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deferred payment arrangement within five (5) years, at a preferred rate of interest. 
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SEC. 12. Assistance From Government Offices. - The Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center may 
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call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Government, 
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including government owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as it may need in 
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the pursuit of its purposes and objectives. All individuals, entities are hereby enjoined to render 
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full assistance and cooperation to the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center in the accomplishment of its 
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activities. 
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SEC. 13. Tax Exemptions and Privileges. - Any provision of law to the contrary 
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notwithstanding, all donations, contributions or endowments that may be made by entities or 
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persons to the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye  Center shall be exempt  from income and donor’s taxes, and 
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shall constitute allowable deductions in full from the income of the donors or grantors for 
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income tax purposes. 
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The Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center, its assets, acquisition, income, importations, 
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operations, and transactions shall be exempt  from any and  all taxes, duties, fees, assessments, 
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imports, and other charges imposed directly or indirectly by the government, or any political 
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subdivision or instrumentality thereof. 
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SEC. 14. Supervision by the Department of Health. - The Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center 
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shall be under the supervision of the Department of Health. 
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SEC. 15. Appropriations. –  
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SEC. 15a. - The sum of One Billion Two Hundred Eighty Millon Pesos  (Php 
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1,280,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the National Government not 
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otherwise appropriated for the Construction of a Fourteen Storey (14) state-of the-art Dr. Jose 
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Rizal Eye Center Building which  allocation includes site  development. 
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SEC. 15b. - The sum of Three Hundred Million Pesos (Php 300,000,000.00) is hereby 
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appropriated out of any funds in the National Government not otherwise appropriated for the 
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provision of modern equipment and aparatos to installed at Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center. 
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SEC. 15c. - The sum of Four Hundred Million Pesos (Php 400,000,000.00) shall be 
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appropriated  to be used as initial operation and maintenance of the  Dr. Jose Rizal Eye  Center. 
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Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the continued operations of the   Dr. Jose Rizal 
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Eye Center shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
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SEC. 16. Annual Reporting. - The Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center shall submit an annual 
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report to the President of the Philippines, Senate Committee on Health and Demography, and 
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the House of Representatives Committee on Health on its activites, accomplishments and 
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recommendations to improve the delivery of specialized medical services. 
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SEC. 17. Effect of Dissolution. - If for any reason, the Dr. Jose Rizal Eye Center is 
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dissolved, its properties and assets in accordance with law shall be  transferred to the Dr. Jose 
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Rizal Memorial Hospital. 
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SEC. 18. Applicability of the Corporation Code. - The provisions of the Corporations 
28 
Code, insofar as these are not inconsistent with the provisions and policies provided in this Act, 
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shall be suppletorily applicable. 
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SEC. 19. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days after the 
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effectivity  of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) and Secretary of the 
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Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
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regulations for the proper implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 20. Separability Clause. - If any provision or section of this Act is held invalid 
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or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall  not affect the other provisions 
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or sections  of this Act. 
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SEC. 21. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts 
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thereof inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified  
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accordingly. 
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SEC. 22. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days after its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulations. 
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Approved,  
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