Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE GERIATRIC HEALTH AND RESEARCH 
INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS OBJECTIVES, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,  
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The average life expectancy of Filipinos has increased over the years. 
This also means that we are expecting a booming population of ageing citizens 
in the future. Alongside wisdom, ageing also brings forth a gradual decrease 
in physical and mental capacity, and a growing risk of disease. In our 
commitment to provide adequate health care services for our people, we must 
augment our efforts in geriatrics or the branch of medicine or social science 
dealing with the health and care of the elderly. 
This bill seeks to establish a Philippine Geriatric Health and Research 
Institute (PGHRI), a specialty hospital that will cater to the health needs of 
the elderly population, and maintain a research institute that would advance 
knowledge and information on geriatrics. The PGHRI shall provide a full range 
of health care services, including primary health care, wellness services, and 
behavioral health care for the elderly. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
REP. PM VARGAS  
Fifth District, Quezon City 
August 7, 2025
10:13 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE GERIATRIC HEALTH AND RESEARCH 
INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS OBJECTIVES, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,  
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:  
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Geriatric 
Health and Research Institute Act.”  
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to protect and promote the right of senior citizens to enjoy the highest 
attainable standard of health. It shall ensure that quality health services are 
available and accessible to them through the establishment of a specialized 
hospital that will cater to their medical needs.  
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – For the purpose of this Act, the following 
terms shall be defined as follows:  
(a) Senior Citizen - refers to any Filipino citizen who is at least sixty (60)
years old;
(b) Geriatrics – refers to the branch of medicine that deals with the
biological and physical characteristics of aging, and the diagnosis
and treatment of diseases and problems specific to senior citizens;
(c) Geriatric Health Services - refers to the medical services or
intervention provided to senior citizens by a multi-specialty team
usually headed by a Geriatrician;
(d) Geriatrician - refers to a medical doctor who is specially trained to
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evaluate and manage the unique healthcare needs and treatment 
preferences of older people; and has passed the necessary training 
and examination to specialize in the field of geriatrics; 
 
(e) Integrated Delivery of Geriatric Health Services – refers to hospital 
and community- based medical and psychological services provided 
to senior citizens by a multi-disciplinary team; and 
 
(f) Multi-Disciplinary Team - refers to a team composed of health 
professionals with varied expertise to provide holistic care, which 
includes a range of interventions to address medical and 
psychological problems of senior citizens. The team is headed by a 
Geriatrician and includes surgeons, organ-system specialist, nurses 
and clinical pharmacists, rehabilitation therapists, nutritionists, 
dentists, social workers, caregivers, family members, and patients 
themselves.  
  
SECTION 4. The Philippine Geriatric Health and Research Institute 
(PGHRI). – The National Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH) located in San 
Miguel, Manila, is hereby renamed to Philippine Geriatric Health and 
Research Institute (PGHRI) and institutionalized as an independent level 1, 
Fifty (50) bed capacity budgetary hospital under the direct control and 
supervision of the Department of Health (DOH) for the benefit of senior 
citizens and older persons. The Philippine Geriatric Health and Research 
Institute (PGHRI) shall have a separate line item under the General 
Appropriations Act (GAA) of the DOH.  
 
SECTION 5. Purpose and Objectives. – The PGHRI shall have the following 
purpose and objectives:  
 
 
(a) Equip, maintain, administer, and operate an integrated medical 
institution which shall specialize in geriatric health services; 
 
(b) Promote medical and scientific research/database relative to the 
prevention, diagnosis, treatments, care, rehabilitation and relief of 
disease of older persons;  
 
(c) Provide education and training of physicians, nurses, officers, social 
workers, barangay health workers, and other medical and technical 
personnel in the practice and scientific implementation of health 
service to older persons; and  
 
(d) Coordinate the various efforts and activities of other government 
agencies and local government units for the purpose of achieving a 
more effective approach to the delivery of geriatric health.  
 
SECTION 6. Scope of Services. – Consistent with its purpose and objectives, 
the PGHRI shall provide the following services:  
 


(a) Hospital-based services to ensure the availability of medical facilities 
and equipment necessary to provide long term and palliative services, 
with its wards divided into the following dementia, long-term care, 
palliative care, respite care, and other units as may be deemed 
necessary; 
 
(b) Community-based services and programs in partnership with local 
government units. Research and necessary training shall be conducted 
for the social functioning of senior citizens and their families, utilizing 
the multi-disciplinary team approaches; and external outsourcing of 
resources may be done as needed to implement community-based 
integrated geriatric health services; 
 
(c) Education programs to pursue excellence and the highest level of 
practice in the specialized field of geriatrics and other related fields; 
postgraduate training and short-term courses for medical doctors and 
allied medical professionals; and 
 
(d) Program development and research to develop cutting-edge research 
and programs to combat diseases of old age and to improve health care 
services for senior citizens.  
 
SECTION 7. Referral System. – The PGHRI shall be the referral center for 
all Private and Government Facilities for specialized geriatric care.  
 
SECTION 8. Administration. – The Department of Health, through the 
Health Facilities Development Bureau (HFDB), shall assume oversight of the 
PGHRI and promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective 
implementation of this Act. 
 
The DOH shall approve the organizational and staffing pattern of the PGHRI, 
subject to the evaluation by the Civil Service Commission and the 
Organizational Position Classification and Compensation Bureau of the 
Department of Budget and Management. The DOH may recognize said 
structure, modify staffing patterns, and create or abolish divisions, sections, 
or units in the PGHRI.  
 
SECTION 9. Appointment and Disciplining Authority of the Secretary of 
Health. – The DOH Secretary shall have the authority to appoint, promote, 
transfer, remove, suspend, or otherwise discipline the officer of the PGHRI up 
to the level of Director, as well as to remove or dismiss all other officials and 
employees of PGHRI, subject to Civil Service laws, rules, and regulations.  
 
SECTION 10. Appropriations. -  The budget allocation for PGHRI shall be in 
accordance with its scope of work and mandate as stated herein. The amount 
of Three Hundred Million (Php 300,000,000) is hereby appropriated for the 
initial operation and maintenance of the PGHRI. Thereafter, the PGHRI shall 
submit its annual budget proposal to the DOH Central Office, duly approved 
by the Secretary of Health as well as by the Department of Budget and 


Management, which will form part of the budget of the DOH as reflected in 
the General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 11. Program for Indigents. – The DOH shall ensure that the 
PGHRI shall adopt and enforce an effective program for indigents. The number 
of beds allocated for the indigent patients shall not be less than forty percent 
(40%) of the total number of hospital beds. 
 
SECTION 12. Increase of Bed Capacity. – The Medical Director may 
increase the bed capacity of PGHRI upon compliance with the guidelines of 
the Department of Health and the Department of Budget and Management 
concerning bed capacity.   
 
SECTION 13. Income Retention. – The PGHRI shall be authorized to retain 
its earnings from its operations for the improvement of its service delivery.  
 
SECTION 14. Tax Exemption and Other Privileges. – The provisions of any 
general or special law to the contrary notwithstanding, all donations, grants, 
contributions, gifts, endowments, received by the PGHRI pursuant hereto, 
shall be exempt from income, donor’s, and all other kinds of taxes, shall be 
further considered as allowable deductions from the gross income of the 
donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue 
Code of 1997, as amended.  
 
The PGHRI is hereby declared exempt from all income and all other internal 
revenue taxes, tariffs and customs duties and all other kinds of taxes, fees, 
charges and assessments levied by the government and its political 
subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities.  
 
The PGHRI may request and receive assistance from the different agencies, 
bureaus, offices, or instrumentalities of the government, including the 
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Philippine Amusement and 
Gaming Corporation in pursuit of its purposes and objectives.  
 
SECTION 15. Annual Report. – The PGHRI shall submit an annual report to 
the President of the Philippines, the Senate Committee on Health and 
Demography, and the House Committee on Health, on its activities, 
accomplishments and recommendations, to better improve the delivery of 
geriatric health services.  
 
SECTION 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). – Within ninety 
(90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of 
Health, in coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare 
and Development (DSWD) and the Secretary of the Department of Budget and 
Management (DBM), shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for 
the effective implementation of this Act.  
 
SECTION 17. Transitory Provisions. – In accomplishing the acts of 
organization herein prescribed, the following transitory provisions shall be 


compiled with:  
 
(a) The Medical Director of the PGHRI shall be a specialized geriatric 
practitioner and shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health 
 
(b) The existing personnel of the NCGH shall remain in their current 
positions until such time a revised and/or new organizational and 
staffing pattern is implemented. 
 
(c) The Health Facilities Development Bureau of the Department of 
Health shall ensure that no disruption of service will occur during 
transition.  
 
SECTION 18. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the reminder of the Act or the provisions not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.  
 
SECTION 19. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative rule or regulation 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, 
modified or amended accordingly.  
 
SECTION 20. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days upon 
its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,