Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM 
(EMSS), CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE NATIONAL EMSS COUNCIL, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) No. 56 
to establish the Emergency 911 Hotline as the nationwide emergency hotline 
number which acts as a call and dispatch center linking people needing 
assistance to emergency resources of the government such as the police, 
firefighters, medical workers and rescue services. 
The Emergency Medical Service System that will provide the 
arrangement of personnel, facilities, equipment, and transportation for 
effective, coordinated, and timely delivery of health and safety services to 
victims of sudden illness or injury in the pre-hospital setting. 
This bill seeks to institutionalize a dedicated dispatch center in local 
government units (LGUs), to be fully integrated and connected to the National 
Command Center. The dispatch centers will link all Filipinos with the 
emergency resources of the government. When implemented in a nationwide 
level, the public will just have to dial a dedicated hotline number and the 
responder will be able to attend to the emergency situation. This bill also 
mandates the creation of a minimum number of plantilla positions for EMS 
personnel in the all government hospitals/health facilities. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought.  
REP. PM VARGAS   
Fifth District, Quezon City
October 6, 2022
12:14 pm
5416


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM 
(EMSS), CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE NATIONAL EMSS COUNCIL, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Emergency 
Medical Services System (EMSS) Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to protect and promote the right to health of the people. Pursuant to 
this national policy, the government shall institutionalize a comprehensive, 
accessible, integrated and standardized system of emergency medical services 
and provide an environment that will maximize the capability and potential of 
emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. 
SECTION 3. Objectives. – This Act has the following objectives: 
a)
To create a national Emergency Medical Services System Council
(EMSSC);
b)
To develop and institutionalized an emergency medical services
system at the national and local government;
c)
To encourage and promote the active participation of the private
sector in the provision of emergency medical services;
d)
To establish a national standard for an emergency medical services
such as training of EMS institutions and personnel, and
establishing standards for design, accreditation and regulation of
emergency medical vehicles;
e)
To institutionalize the use of a Nationwide Emergency Hotline
Number;
f)
To establish and provide support services to emergency medical
5416


 
 
services;  
g) 
To promote public safety and accessible emergency medical services 
to the people especially those in need of emergency medical services 
and 
give 
priority 
for 
the 
under-served 
and 
under-served 
communities; and 
h) 
To adopt an emergency medical service protocol in times of natural 
and man-made disasters. 
 
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the following 
terms are hereby defined: 
 
a) 
Accredited 
training 
and 
assessment 
institutions 
refer 
to 
organizations, in good standing with the Emergency Medical Service 
System Council (EMSSC), accredited to offer training programs, 
courses, continuing education and competency-based assessment 
in Emergency Medical Services for EMS personnel that meet the 
standards established by the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) 
for uniformed personnel and the EMSSC, hereinafter referred to as 
the Council created under this Act; 
b) 
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) refers to a group of 
interventions used to treat and stabilize adult victims of life-
threatening cardiorespiratory emergencies and to resuscitate 
victims of cardiac arrest. Theses interventions include Cardio 
Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), basic anda advanced airway 
management 
such 
as 
endotracheal 
intubation, 
emergency 
medications, electrical therapy, automated external defibrillation 
and intravenous (IV) access; 
c) 
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) refers to a group protocol for 
managing trauma victims and designed to maximize management 
in the first hour after trauma and ensure an optional long-term 
outcome. These interventions include BLS, ACLS, immobilization, 
venous cannula insertion and Pediatric Advanced Life Support 
(PALS) for children; 
d) 
Ambulance/Emergency medical vehicle refers to a vehicle designed 
and equipped for transporting sick or injured patients to, from, and 
between places of treatment by land, water or air, affording safety 
and comfort to the patients and avoiding illness or injury; 
e) 
Basic Life Support (BLS) refers to a group of action and interventions 
used to resuscitate and stabilize victims of cardiac and respiratory 
arrest. These BLS actions and interventions includes the recognition 
of a Cardiac or a Respirator emergency or Stroke, activation of the 
emergency response system, CPR and relief of foreign-body airway 
obstruction; 
f) 
Competency-based assessment refers to the confirmation of an EMS 
personnel’s capability and capacity to perform one’s duties and 
responsibilities, through the process of collective evidence and 
judgment, in accordance with the standards and guidelines 
established by the Council; 
g) 
Emergency Medical Dispatch refer to the immediate identification 


 
 
and prioritization of emergency situations, the timely dispatch of 
appropriate resources, providing essential pre-arrival medical 
instructions and full endorsement to the receiving hospital. 
Dispatch encompasses all aspects of communication including 
request processing, coordination and support, documentation and 
monitoring; 
h) 
Emergency medical services (EMS) refer to: 
i. 
Emergency care which refers to the independent delivery of pre-
hospital emergency medical services by appropriately trained 
and certified EMS personnel, usually in a mobile or community 
setting, in full accordance with the Emergency Medical Services 
Treatment Protocols established by the EMSSC; 
ii. 
Advanced Life Support which refer to set of life saving protocols 
and skills that extend beyond BLS (Basic Life Support) to 
further support the circulation and provide an advanced airway 
and adequate ventilation. Advanced Life Support may refer to 
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Advanced Trauma 
Life Support (ATLS); 
i) 
Emergency Medical Services Personnel refer to a trained and 
certified personnel engaged in the provision of emergency medical 
services during emergencies. Responders may either be health 
professional or non-health professionals; 
j) 
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System refer to the arrangement 
and coordination of personnel, facilities, and equipment for the 
effective delivery of emergencies; for the management and 
prevention of further incidents or accidents and the broad range of 
emergency care to transport in an intensive care setting; 
k) 
Emergency Response and Care refers to the arrival of resources at 
the scene and the timely initiation and provision of appropriate 
medical interventions. 
l) 
Emergency Transport refers to the transporting of a patient to the 
most appropriate and definitive health facility with continued 
provision of care and appropriate interventions en route to the 
appropriate health facility. 
m) 
Inter-Agency Referral and Transport refer to the transport of patient 
with EMS personnel, if necessary, from one referring facility or 
agency to 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; 
n) 
Medical Direction refers to the communication between an EMS 
personnel and a physician from the field via radio or other means to 
obtain instruction on further care of a patient. 
o) 
Medical Emergency refer to any acute or life-threatening condition 
that requires immediate intervention by competent medical 
personnel. 
p) 
Medical Oversight refer to the broad understanding of the 
emergency medical system as a whole and ensuring proper policies 
and procedures exist to ensure safe transitions of care and 
utilization of appropriate resources in the field, it is typically 


 
 
performed by a medical director at the local, regional, and national 
levels, in collaboration with regulations, regional and local medical 
directors and advisory committees. 
q) 
National Emergency Medical Services Treatment Protocols refer to 
emergency medical procedures outlining approved clinical practices 
and therapies to be observed by EMS personnel, as established by 
the Council; and 
r) 
Patient Transport refers to the transport of patients to and from 
medical facilities whose condition is of a non-life-threatening nature 
in emergency situations, patients are transported by the emergency 
medical services. 
 
 
CHAPTER II 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEMS COUNCIL 
 
SECTION 5. Creation of the Emergency Medical Services Systems 
Council. – There shall be a council to be known as the “Emergency Medical 
Services Systems Council (EMSSC)” created under the Department of Interior 
and Local Government (DILG). 
 
SECTION 6. Power and Function of the EMSSC. – The Council shall perform 
the following functions: 
a) 
To formulate policies governing the field of emergency medical 
services and related institutions; 
b) 
To develop national standards for the provision of emergency 
medical services to include, among others, the skills and 
competencies required for EMS personal and the development of 
mandatory national emergency medical services treatment protocols 
to be observed by EMS personnel and such other entities as it may 
consider appropriate; 
c) 
To promulgate a Code of Ethics for EMS personnel; 
d) 
To develop high standards of operation for EMS personnel; 
e) 
To develop standards and protocols for the design, construction, 
outfitting and operation of emergency medical vehicles. 
f) 
To integrate the training and study of Standard Basic Life Support 
and First Aid in different kinds of situations and emergencies in the 
curriculum of all public 
and 
private 
tertiary 
educational 
institutions. 
g) 
To ensure the establishment of a system of networking and 
coordination among all existing government health agencies, LGUs, 
and private and non-government medical institutions for the 
effective implementation of this Act; 
h) 
To monitor compliance by all LGUs and government and private 
health facilities, of the standards and requirements set out in this 
Act; 
i) 
To establish a Secretariat under an Execution Director for the 
administrative and day-to-day operations of the Council; 


 
 
j) 
To create committees and other mechanisms to help expedite the 
implementation of plans and strategies; 
k) 
To generate resources from local, national and international 
organizations/agencies, whether government or private sector, for 
its operation; 
l) 
To receive and accept donations and other conveyances including 
funds, materials and services by gratuitous title: Provided, that not 
more than thirty percent (30%) of said funds shall be used for 
administrative expenses; 
m) 
To prepare an annual budget of the Council and submit the same 
to the President for inclusion in the annual General Appropriations 
Act; 
n) 
To advise the President on matters pertaining to EMS; 
o) 
To investigate complaints against violators of this Act, its rules and 
regulations and policies of the Council; 
p) 
To request any department, instrumentality, office, bureau or 
agency of the government, including LGUs, to render such 
assistance as it may require in order to carry out, enforce or 
implement the provisions of this Act; 
q) 
To regulate activities inimical to the delivery of emergency medical 
services; 
r) 
To meet at least once every quarter; and  
s) 
To promulgate rules and regulations and policies of the Council and 
enforce the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 7. Membership of the Council. -- The members of the Council 
shall be composed of the following: 
 
a) 
The Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government 
(DILG) as Chairperson of the Council; 
b) 
The Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) as Co-
Chairperson; 
c) 
The Secretary of the Department of Transport (DOTr); 
d) 
The Secretary of the Department of Information, Communication 
and Technology (DICT); 
e) 
The Head of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD); 
f) 
The Director General of the TESDA; 
g) 
The Chairperson of the CHED; 
h) 
The Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC); and 
i) 
The President of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 
(PhilHealth). 
 
Relevant stakeholders from the different government offices, private entities 
and civil society organization (CSOs) who are involved in the practice and 
implementation of emergency medical services can be invited as resource 
person or representatives in the Council’s meetings. 
 
SECTION 8. Compensation and Remuneration. – The Secretaries of the 
DILG and DOH shall perform their duties as such without compensation or 


 
 
remuneration, subject to reasonable per diem allowances as approved by the 
Council and subject to existing rules and regulations of the Department of 
Budget and Management (DBM) Members who are not government officials or 
employees shall be entitled to necessary traveling expenses, per diem and 
representation allowances chargeable against funds of the DOH, as approved 
by the Council, subject to existing rules and regulations of the DBM. 
 
SECTION 9. The Secretariat. – The Council shall organize a Secretariat 
headed by a person of probity and shall have at least five (5) years of 
experience in emergency medical services or a related field. 
 
SECTION 10. Program Plans. – The Council shall within six (6) months after 
having been officially constituted and finally staffed, adopt and immediately 
cause to be implemented, in coordination with medical and related agencies, 
a short-term program in support of relevant existing projects and activities 
and, within one (1) year, a long-term five (5) years development program. This 
development program shall be developed and subjected to annual review and 
revision by the Council, in coordination with relevant public and private 
medical agencies and organizations. 
 
SECTION 11. Accreditation. – The Council shall issue certifications and 
licenses for the accreditation of training institutions for EMS personnel and 
emergency medical vehicle providers. 
 
 
 
CHAPTER III 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL 
 
SECTION 12. Creation of Plantilla Positions for Emergency Medical 
Services Personnel. – There shall be created a minimum number of plantilla 
positions for EMS personnel in the following government hospitals/health 
facilities within the next five (5) years upon approval of this Act: 
 
a) 
Level 2 and 3 Hospitals – Ten (10) EMS personnel and at least one 
(1) Ambulance Assistant; 
b) 
Level 1 Hospitals – Six (6) EMS personnel; and at least one (1) 
Ambulance Assistant; 
c) 
Local Government Units – Six (6) EMS personnel; and  
d) 
Other Health Facilities – As may be deemed necessary by the 
Council. 
 
Upon the approval of the necessary plantilla positions for EMS personnel, the 
Council shall submit a proposed standard of qualifications for positions to the 
Civil Service Commission (CSC) for its approval, pursuant to Executive Order 
No. 292, entitled “The Revised Administrative Code of 1987 on the Civil 
Service Commission”. The annual financial requirements needed to pay for 
the salaries of EMS personnel shall be included in the annual general 
appropriations of the respective hospitals health facilities and LGUs. 


 
 
 
SECTION 13. Authorized Training Institution. – Training programs, 
courses and continuing education for an EMS personnel shall be conducted 
by an institution that has been granted a Certificate of Program Registration 
(COPR) by the TESDA, in case of technical non-degree courses falling under 
the TESDA jurisdiction, or a Certificate of Accreditation as a Higher Education 
Institution (HEI) as well as Program Accreditation by the CHED, in the case 
of degree programs falling under the CHED jurisdiction, and the Philippine 
Public Safety College (PPSC) for uniformed personnel. 
 
 
The requirements prescribed by the Council shall serve as the minimum 
requirement for program registration. The DOH can provide training programs 
for EMS personnel: Provided, that these shall be in accordance with the 
standards set by the Council. 
 
SECTION 14. Code of Ethics of EMS Personnel. – The Council, in 
coordination with the appropriate agencies, shall adopt and promulgate the 
Code of Ethics and the Code of Technical Standard for EMS personnel to 
include, among others, duties of EMS personnel to emergency medical 
patients, to the community, and to their colleagues. 
 
 
 
CHAPTER IV 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM 
 
SECTION 15. Emergency Medical Vehicles. – The Council shall develop 
minimum 
requirements 
for 
the 
design, 
construction, 
performance, 
equipment, testing and appearance of emergency medical vehicles. As such, 
only emergency medical vehicles shall be allowed to display the word 
“Ambulance” and the universally-accepted “Star of Life” symbol. It shall also 
provide for the operation protocols of said vehicles. 
 
The DILG in coordination with the DOH shall design a specification and an 
accreditation systems and procedures, which shall follow Administrative 
Order (AO) No. 2016-0029 or the Department’s A.O governing licensure of 
ambulance and ambulance service provider, to provide the public with 
ambulances and other emergency medical vehicles that are easily identifiable, 
nationally recognizable, properly constructed, easily maintained and, when 
appropriately equipped, will enable EMS personnel to safety and reliably 
perform their functions as basic and advanced  life support providers. 
 
The ambulance shall be designed to provide the following features at the 
minimum: 
 
a) 
A driver’s compartment; 
b) 
A patient compartment with sufficient space to safety and 
comfortably accommodate an EMS personnel and a patient who 
can be given intensive life support during transit’; 


 
 
c) 
Equipment and supplies for emergency care at the scene as well as 
during transport; 
d) 
A two-way radio, telephone or electronic communication; and  
e) 
When necessary, equipment for light rescue or extrication 
procedures. 
 
The emergency medical vehicle shall be so designed and constructed to 
provide the patient with safety and comfort, and to prevent aggravation of the 
patient’s injury or illness. The designated vehicle marking of “ambulance” is 
hereby restricted for use by emergency medical vehicles only. While failure of 
an emergency medical vehicle to conform to the Council standards may be a 
ground for the removal of its certification, such failure shall not bar EMS 
personnel from: 
 
 
a) 
Responding and providing appropriate basic or advanced life 
support on-site to persons reported experiencing acute injury or 
illness in an emergency care setting, and transporting them, while 
continuing such life support care, to an appropriate medical facility 
for definitive care; 
b) 
Providing inter-hospital critical transport care; 
c) 
Transporting essential personnel and equipment to and from the 
site of a multiple medical emergency or a triage site and transporting 
appropriately triaged patients to designated medical facilities; 
d) 
Emergency medical vehicle will be used for emergency cases only 
and not for patient OPD/ambulatory consults, non-emergent cases, 
and elective laboratory procedures; and  
e) 
BFP emergency medical vehicles will not be used for transporting 
non-emergent cases. LGU emergency medical vehicles can be used 
for transporting elective or non-emergent cases.  
 
SECTION 16. Emergency Dispatch. – All local government units are 
mandated to establish their dispatch centers where constituents can call for 
all cases of emergencies, with adequate and qualified personnel. The dispatch 
centers shall follow the prescribed guidelines on dispatch protocol as 
determined by the DILG and the Council. 
 
SECTION 17. Emergency Response, Care, and Transport. – All LGUs shall 
ensure the availability of adequate emergency transport vehicles or 
ambulances with qualified EMS personnel. All emergency transport vehicles 
and the prescribed guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH) and the 
Council on ambulance services and on emergency response and care. 
 
SECTION 18. Inter-Agency Referral and Transport. – This Council shall 
establish the prescribed protocols/guidelines on inter-agency referral and 
transport. 
 
CHAPTER V 
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS 
 


 
 
SECTION 19. Adoption of a Nationwide Emergency Hotline Number. – 
There shall only be one (1) nationwide emergency hotline number to enable 
the public to access emergency medical services. Towards this end, the 
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Council shall 
develop a program for the adoption of a nationwide emergency hotline 
number. It shall consult and cooperate with national and local agencies and 
institutional; LGUs and officials responsible for emergency service and public 
safety; the telecommunications industry (specifically including the cellular 
and other wireless telecommunications service providers); the motor vehicle 
manufacturing industry; emergency medical service providers; emergency 
dispatch providers; transportation officials; public safety, fire service and law 
enforcement officials; consumer groups; and hospital emergency and trauma 
care personnel, including emergency physicians, trauma surgeons and 
nurses. 
 
SECTION 20. Compliance. – It shall be the duty of every voice service 
provider to provide its subscribers with access to the national universal 
emergency number in accordance with the implementing rules and 
regulations to be adopted pursuant to this Act. 
 
SECTION 
21. 
Prohibited 
Acts 
and 
Penalties 
on 
Emergency 
Communications. – 
 
 
a) 
Any person who makes a telephone call to an emergency hotline 
number with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person 
who answers the telephone call shall be guilty with the first offense 
and, subject to subsection (c) of this Section, shall be compelled to 
attend a seminar on the proper use of the nationwide emergency 
hotline number. Upon commission of the offense for the second 
time, the offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed with a fine of 
not less than Five hundred pesos (P500.00) but not more than One 
Thousand pesos (P1000.00) Upon commission of the offense for the 
third and succeeding times, the offender shall, upon conviction, be 
imposed with a penalty of imprisonment of not less than one (1) 
month but not more than six (6) months or a fine of not less than 
Two Thousand pesos 16 (2,000.00) but not more than Five 
Thousand pesos (P5,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.   
b) 
Any person who makes a telephone call to an emergency hotline 
number and, upon the call being answered, makes or solicits any 
comment, request, suggestion, proposal or sound which is obscene, 
lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent, shall be mandated to attend a 
seminar on the proper use of the nationwide emergency hotline 
number for the first offense. Upon commission of the offense for the 
second time, the offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed with a 
fine of not less than Five hundred pesos (P500.00) but not more 
than One Thousand pesos (p1,000.00). Upon commission of the 
third and succeeding times, the offender shall, upon conviction, be 
imposed with a penalty of imprisonment of not less than one (1) 
month but not more than six (6) months or a fine of not less than 


 
 
Two thousand pesos (2,000.00) but not more than Five thousand 
pesos (P5,000.00) or both, at the discretion of the court. 
c) 
A person who gives a false report of a medical emergency or gives 
false information in connection with a medical emergency, or makes 
a false alarm of a medical emergency, knowing the report or 
information or alarm to be false; or makes a false request for 
ambulance service to an ambulance service provider, knowing the 
request to be false, shall be mandated to attend a seminar on the 
proper use of the nationwide emergency hotline number for the first 
offense. Upon commission of the offense for the second time, the 
offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed with a fine of not less 
than Two thousand pesos (2,000.00) but not less than Five 
thousand pesos (P5,000.00) and payment of damages. Upon 
commission of the offense for the third and succeeding times, the 
offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed with a penalty of 
imprisonment of not less than one (1) year but not more than three 
(3) years or a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) 
but not more than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) and payments 
of damages, or both, at the discretion of the court. 
 
 
CHAPTER VI 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
SECTION 22. Role of the LGUs. – The LGUs are hereby mandated to develop 
and institutionalize an emergency medical service system within their area of 
jurisdiction. The Council shall include in its programs, activities that will 
support and enable the LGUs to accomplish such task. 
 
SECTION 23. Enforcement of the Emergency Medical Services System. – 
The DILG, including all relevant agencies, instrumentalities, offices or 
bureaus of the government that are involved in the enforcement of emergency 
medical services, are hereby mandated to render its utmost support for the 
implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 24. Appropriations. – The amounts necessary for the 
implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the appropriations of all 
concerned agencies and local government units. Additional funds and 
possible fund sources as may be necessary for the implementation of this 
Order shall be identified and provided by the Department of Budget and 
Management. 
 
SECTION 25. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Except as otherwise 
provided, the Council, in coordination with the NTC, the TESDA, the CHED, 
and the DOH, shall issue and promulgate the rules and regulations to 
implement the provisions of this Act within one hundred twenty (120) days 
upon constitution of the Council. 
 


 
 
SECTION 26. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and 
effectivity of the other provisions hereof. 
 
SECTION 27. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, 
or portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are 
hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 28. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved,