REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5419

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article II Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote
the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Despite such
policy, efforts on the part of the government remain inadequate especially in light of the soaring
number of Filipinos afflicted with disabling and costly diseases such as diabetes. Dubbed as a
silent killer, diabetes ranks 8th among the leading causes of mortality in the Philippines. Over
time, diabetes can lead to heart and blood vessel disease, blindness, kidney failure, and foot
ulcers among other conditions. It is expected that over seven (7) million Filipinos will have
diabetes by 2030. Furthermore, diabetes awareness is low among the public.

It is in this light that this bill seeks to promote a different approach in responding to this illness.
This measure requires the Department of Health (DOH) to establish an advisory group to
examine and recommend best practices of diabetes and chronic illness employee wellness
incentivization and disease management programs; to prepare, biennially, a diabetes report card
for the nation that: (1) is adaptable by state and local agencies in order to rate or report local
diabetes care, costs, and prevalence; and (2) includes trend analysis in order to track progress in
meeting established national goals and objectives and to inform policy and program
development; to conduct, support, and promote the collection, analysis, and publication of data
on the prevalence and incidence of type 1 and 2 diabetes and of pre-diabetes; and to improve
diabetes mortality data collection.

It is hoped that the passage of this measure shall put a halt to this fast-growing pandemic and
shall bring about a healthier diabetes-free population.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

.


Caeranauwne

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No, 9419

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

AN ACT
TO PROVIDE FOR A FRAMEWORK IN THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF
DIABETES, 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. Short Title. - This Act may be known as the "Diabetes Care Act of 2017"

SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean as
follows:

a) Employee wellness and disease management programs shall include but not be limited to
personal coaching intervention to target lifestyle topics such as back care, blood pressure
management, blood sugar control, exercise, walking breaks, nutrition and stress
management, healthy weight management program, smoking cessation program, and
reduction of behavior-related causes of disease.

1)

Chronic illness is one that lasts for a very long time and usually cannot be cured
completely. It shall include but not be limited to diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, kidney
disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and HIV.

SEC. 3. Advisory Group Regarding Diabetes and Chronic Employee Wellness
Incentivization and Disease Management Best Practices. ~

a) Establishment - The Secretary of the Department of Health (hereinafter referred to as the
Secretary) shall establish an advisory group consisting of representatives of the public
and private sector. The advisory group shall include representatives from public and
private sector entities with experience in administering and operating employee wellness
and disease management programs

b) Duties - The advisory group established under subsection (a) shall examine and make
recommendations of best practices of chronic illness employee wellness incentivization
and disease management programs in order to:

i. provide public and private sector entities with improved information in assessing
the role of employee wellness incentivization and disease management programs
in saving money and improving quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses;
and

ii. encourage the adoption of effective chronic illness, employee wellness and
disease management programs

©) Report - Not later than one (1) year after the date of the enactment of-this Act, the
advisory group established shall submit to the Speaker, Majority and Minority Leader of


a)

b)

©)

d)

a)

b)

the House of Representatives, the President, and Majority Leader and Minority Leader of
the Senate, the results of the examination under subsection (b)(i)

SEC. 4. National Diabetes Report Card. —
Establishment - The Secretary of the Department of Health (referred to in this section as
DOH) shall prepare on a biennial basis a national diabetes report card (hereinafter
referred to as ‘Report Card’) for the Nation.

Contents - Each Report Card shall include statistically valid aggregate health outcomes
related to individuals diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes including:

i. _ preventative care practices and quality of care;
ii, risk factors; and
iii, outcomes.

Updated Reports - Each Report Card that is prepared after the initial Report Card shall
include trend analysis for the nation for the purpose of:

i. tracking progress in meeting established national goals and objectives for
improving diabetes care, costs, and prevalence; and

ii, informing policy and program development.

Availability - The Secretary shall make each Report Card publicly available including
posting the Report Card on the Internet.

SEC. 5. Improvement of Vital Statistics Collection.
The Secretary of the Department of Health shall

i. promote the education and training of physicians on the importance of birth and
death certificate data and how to properly complete these documents, including
the collection of such data for diabetes and other chronic diseases,

ii encourage local government units adoption of the latest standard revisions of birth
and death certificates; and

iii, _ work with LGDs to re-engineer their vital statistics systems in order to provide
cost-effective, timely, and accurate vital systems data.

Death Certificate Additional Language - In carrying out this Section, the Secretary may
promote the addition of language to death certificates to improve collection of diabetes
mortality data, including the addition of a question for the individual certifying to the
cause of death regarding whether the deceased had diabetes.

SEC. 6, Study of Appropriate Level of Diabetes Medical Education. ~

a. In General - The Secretary of the Department of Health (hereinafter referred to as
“Secretary') shall, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines College of
the Medicine, and appropriate associations and councils, conduct a study of the
impact of diabetes on the practice of medicine in the Philippines and the
appropriateness of the level of diabetes medical education should be required prior to
licensure, board 25 certification, and board recertification,



b. Report - Not later than two (2) years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall submit a report on the study under subsection (a) to the appropriate
committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines.

SEC. 7. Appropriation. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act
shall be taken out from the appropriations of the DOH. Thereafter, such amount necessary for the
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting,

SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent with, the
provisions of this Act, is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation

Approved,