REPRESEN

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‘Fay NED

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 5536

Introduced by Representative PAUL R. DAZA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Health and poverty are closely interrelated. Poverty leads to, if not aggravates
poor health while poor health leads to, if not aggravates poverty. Health, therefore, is a
priority concern of government.

Eastern Visayas is among the poorest regions in the Philippines. Along with
poverty, it contends with lack of infrastructure and social services, including hospitals.
Using an ideal bed-to-population ratio, the region still needs an additional 2,850
hospital beds for its 4.44 million population (PSA, 2015).' The region has a combined
hospital bed capacity of 2,700 (PhilHealth).

This bill seeks to establish a satellite hospital under the Eastern Visayas
Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), which in turn is under the full and direct control,
supervision and management of the Department of Health. This is proposed to be
located in the Municipality of Catarman, Northern Samar.

The proposed EVRMC Catarman Satellite Hospital will ensure that the region
will be able to comply with the mandate of the recently passed Universal Health Care
Act. It will effectively help close the gap in the region’s hospital bed capacity as well
as ensure wider access to affordable and quality healthcare services particularly in
Northern Samar and the northernmost portions of Samar and Eastern Samar.

Clearly, there is much to be done. Inaccessibility of hospitals—both in costs and
distance—contributes to deaths and prolonged illnesses in the region. Climate-related
health risks can also lead to new challenges and emerging diseases. It is therefore
crucial that Northern Samar in particular and Eastern Visayas in general improve their
healthcare services beginning with an increase in bed capacity. Moreover, the

! EVRMC is currently co-establishing an extension facility in Villaba, Leyte while the establishment
of a new Samar Island Medical Center is also ongoing. Nevertheless, even with these upcoming
hospitals, a new hospital in Northen Samar will still be urgent in addressing the health requirements
of the people in the region to conform to an ‘ideal’ ratio of one hospital bed per 800 population
(DoH), Actually, WHO recommends an even stricter ratio of 1 per 200 population (or 5 per 1,000)
(DOH as cited in PWC, 2018).


geography of island-provinces also subjects the people to further inconveniences and
added costs of traveling.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 5536

Introduced by Representative PAUL R. DAZA

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A FIFTY (50)-BED SATELLITE HOSPITAL OF
THE EASTERN VISAYAS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN THE
MUNICIPALITY OF CATARMAN, NORTHERN SAMAR, TO BE KNOWN AS
THE EASTERN VISAYAS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER CATARMAN
SATELLITE HOSPITAL APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of the Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled

Section 1. There shall be established a fifty (50)-bed satellite hospital of the
Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in the Municipality of Catarman, Northern
Samar, to be known as the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center Catarman Satellite
Hospital.

Section 2. The Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center Catarman Satellite
Hospital shall be under direct administrative and technical supervision of the
Department of Health.

Section 3. The Department of Health shall formulate the necessary guidelines
for its operation as a Level 2 hospital and ensure funding for the acquisition of the land
on which the hospital will be established, the construction of the hospital buildings and
other complementary infrastructure, facilities and medical equipment, as well as for the
costs of the necessary maintenance and personnel services.

Section 4. The Secretary of Health shall immediately include the
implementation of this Act in the Department's programs, the funding of which shall
be charged against the current year’s unappropriated balance of the Department of
Health. An appropriation of two hundred million pesos (P200,000,000.00) shall be
included in the General Appropriations Act of the year succeeding the implementation
of this Act, and one hundred million pesos (P100,000,000.00) thereafter for four (4)
years or until the provisions of this Act are fully implemented. Thereafter, the amount
necessary for the continued operation of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center
Catarman Satellite Hospital shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.


Section 5. If any part or provision of this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid,
other parts for provisions hereof which are not affected shall continue to remain in full
force and effect.

Section 6. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are deemed amended,
repealed or modified accordingly

Section 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following completion of
its publication in the Official Gazette and in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,