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 
PROVIDING FOR A FRAMEWORK IN THE CARE AND TREATMENT 
OF DIABETES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Mortality due to diabetes is a silent and persistent health concern in 
the Philippines. In the recent years, the loss of lives due to the disease has 
increased dramatically claiming an average of more than 30,000 lives 
annually1. With one in 14 adult Filipinos having diabetes2, the country 
ranks 5th among its Southeast Asian neighbors in terms of the prevalence of 
the disease.  
As it is the obligation of the State, under the Constitution, to promote 
and protect the right of the people to health by installing health 
consciousness among the people, there is a need to undertake more health 
promotion and disease preventive measures, particularly with respect to 
diabetes. 
While the Department of Health already provides the Insulin Access 
Program for diabetes treatment, this bill proposes a systematic framework 
and collaborative effort among the various national and local government 
agencies as well as the private sector to better address the growing epidemic 
of diabetes in the country.  
1 Philippine Statistics Authority (2020) 
2 International Diabetes Federation (2019) 
July 27, 2022
3:17 pm
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By promoting a different approach in responding to this illness, this 
bill seeks to improve the diabetes care and treatment for Filipinos in the 
hopes of enhancing the overall public health in the country.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is 
earnestly sought. 
REP. PM VARGAS   
Fifth District, Quezon City 


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 
PROVIDING 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 shall be known as the "Diabetes Care 
Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall recognize, protect, 
and promote the right to health of the people and instill health 
consciousness among them. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. 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:
i 
back care;   
ii blood pressure management;  
iii blood sugar control;  
iv exercise;  
v walking breaks;  
vi nutrition and stress management; 
vii healthy weight management program; 
viii smoking cessation program; and  
ix reduction of behavior-related causes of disease. 
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b) Chronic illness is one that lasts for a very long time and usually 
cannot be cured completely. It shall Include but not limited to: 
i 
Diabetes;  
ii Heart disease; 
iii Arthritis; 
iv Kidney disease: 
v Lupus; 
vi Multiple sclerosis; and  
vii HIV. 
 
SECTION 4. Disease Management Best Practices, Chronic Employee 
Wellness Incentivization and Advisory Group Regarding Diabetes.– 
a) Establishment - the Secretary of the Department of Health 
shall establish on 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: 
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 illness; and  
 
ii Encourage the adoption of effective chronic illness, 
employee wellness and disease management programs. 
 
c) 
Report - no later than one (1) year after the enactment of this 
Act, the advisory group established shall submit to the Speaker, 
Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate, the results 
under subsection. 
SECTION 5. National Diabetes Report Card. – 


a) Establishment - the Secretary of the Department of Health shall 
prepare on a biennial basis a national diabetes report card for the 
whole Nations; 
 
b) Contents- each Report Card shall Include statistically valid 
aggregate health outcomes related to individuals diagnosed with 
diabetes and pre-diabetes including: 
i 
Preventive care practices and quality of care: 
ii risk factors; and  
iii outcomes. 
 
c) Updated Reports - each report card 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 
improvising 
diabetes 
care, 
costs 
and 
prevalence; and  
ii Informing policy and program development. 
 
d) Availability - the Secretary of the Department of Health shall 
make each report card publicly available including posting the 
report card on the internet. 
 
SECTION 6. Improvement of Vital Statistics Collection. – 
a) The Secretary of the Department of Health shall: 
i. 
Promote the education and training of physicians on the 
importance 01 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. 
 
b) 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 morality data, including the addition 
of a question for the individual certifying to the cause of 
death regarding whether the deceased had diabetes. 


SECTION 7.  Study and Report. –  
a) In General - the Secretary of the Department of Health shall, in 
collaboration with a State University or College having a course 
of 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 of the Department of Health 
shall submit a report of the study under subsection (a) to the 
appropriate committee of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate of the Philippines. 
SECTION 8. Funding. – The initial funding requirements for the 
implementation of this Act shall be z against the current appropriations of 
the agency concerned. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its 
continued implementation shall be included in the agencies yearly budget 
under the General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) 
days after the approval of this Act, the Commission, the Department of 
Health, in coordination with the following: 
a) State Universities and Colleges; 
b) Local Government Units (LGUs); 
c) Commission on Higher Education (CHED); 
d) Commission on Human Rights (CHR); 
 
And such other concerned agencies, shall issue the necessary Rules and 
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, rules and regulations or parts 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modify accordingly. 
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. If any part, section or provision of this 
Act shall be held invalid or unconstitutional, no other part, section or 
provisions thereof shall be affected thereby. 
 


SECTION 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
following the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,