FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 2464 
Introduced by Senator JUAN MIGUEL F. ZUBIRI 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It cannot be denied that Filipino Culture has a strong hold of respect to our 
elderliness. We afford them great importance not only in our respective families but to 
the nation as well, giving them a higher kind of care and treatment. 
In connection therewith this humble representation, ironically it may seems being 
the youngest in the senate, intends to create a National Center for Geriatric Health for 
the Elderly or the Senior Citizens, which will address specifically the social, 
psychological and biological aspects of aging people as well as creating a center 
devoted solely for the studies on the diseases of our elderly. The center will provide 
delivery of integrated geriatric health services to promote healthy ageing in our country 
, 
and help combat the increasing incidence of degenerative diseases, frailty and 
disability .. 
The early passage of this bill will communicate a sense of goodwill and gratitude 
to our senior citizens hence approval of this bill is earnestly requested. 
/-
GUEL F. ZUBIRI 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 2.sf~~ 
Introduced by Senator JUAN MIGUEL F. ZUBIRI 
AN ACT 
. CREATING NATIONAL GERIATRIC HEALTH CENTRE AND 
GERONTOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Geriatric 
2 
Health Centre and Gerontology Research Institute of 2010." 
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4 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy - Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution 
5 
provides that the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health 
6 
development which shall endeavour to make essential goods, health and other social 
7 
services available to all the people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the 
8 
needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women and children. The State 
9 
shall endeavour to provide free medical care to paupers. 
10 
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Sec. 3. Definition of Terms - For purposes of this Act, these terms are defined 
12 
as follows: 
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a. "Senior Citizen" or elderly" shall mean any resident citizen of the Philippines at 
14 
least sixty (60) years old or older as defined in Republic Act No. 9257, otherwise 
15 
known as the "Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003'; 
16 
b. "Geriatric Health Service" shall mean medical services provided 
by a 
17 
Geriatrician; 
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c. "Geriatrician" is a Medical Doctor who has passed the necessary training and 
19 
examination and specializes in the field of Geriatrics; 
20 
d. 
"Geriatrics" is the branch of medical science devoted to the study of the 
21 
biological and physical changes and diseases of older adults. It aims to promote 
22 
health and prevent and treat diseases and disabilities of older adults; 


1 
e. 
"Integrated Delivery of Geriatric Health Services" is a hospital and community 
2 
based medical and psycho-social services provided to Senior Citizens by a multi-
3 
disciplinary team; 
4 
f. 
"Palliative Services" is a specialized care for people who are living with an 
5 
advanced disease; 
6 
g. "Palliative Care" is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on 
7 
reducing the severity of the symptoms of disease. The goal is to prevent and 
8 
relieve suffering and improve the quality of life for people facing serious or 
9 
complex illness; 
10 
h. "Tertiary Hospital" is a hospital that has a full complement of services including 
11 
general medicine, surgery and psychiatry. 
12 
13 
Sec. 4. Creation of the National Geriatric Health Centre and Gerontology 
14 
Research Institute - There is hereby created a corporate body, for the primary benefit 
15 
of Senior citizens or the Elderly to be known as the National Geriatric Health Centre and 
16 
Gerontology Research Institute, herein referred to as NGHC, which is hereby 
17 
categorized as a government owned and controlled corporation. 
18 
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Sec. 5. Board of Trustees - The NGHC shall be administered by a Board of 
20 
Trustees composed of the following: 
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a. Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) - as Chairperson of the Board; 
22 
b. Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) - as 
23 
Assistant Chairperson of the Board; 
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c. Two (2) Senators upon designation of the Senate President who shall be ex 
25 
officio members; 
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d. Two (2) Congressmen upon deSignation of the Speaker who shall be ex officio 
27 
members; 
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e. Three (3) philanthropists from the private sector. 
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30 
Sec. 6. Purposes and Objectives - The purposes and objectives of the NGHC 
31 
are to provide the following: 
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a. Hospital-based services -
there shall be medical facilities and equipment 
33 
necessary to provide chronic, long term and palliative services with its wards to 
34 
be divided into the following: Dementia, Long Term Care, Palliative Care, Respite 
35 
Care and other units as may be deemed necessary; 
36 
b. Community-based services -
to develop and implement community based 
37 
program in partnership with local government units, conduct 
research and 
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external resource outscoring to implement community based integrated geriatric 
2 


1 
health services and conduct training necessary for the social functioning of the 
2 
senior citizens and their families, utilizing the multi-disciplinary team approaches; 
3 
c. Education -
to provide field of specialization in Geriatrics and Gerontology, 
4 
conduct post-graduate training and short term courses for medical doctors and 
5 
medical allied professionals subject to the Joint Guidelines to be issued by the 
6 
Depa~ment of Health (DOH), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and 
7 
the Technological Employment and Skills Education development Authority 
8 
(TESDA); 
9 
d. Program Development, Research, Medical/Technical Assistance and Quality 
10 
Assurance - to develop cutting edge research and program to combat diseases 
11 
of old age in promoting active and healthy care, provide necessary consultancy 
12 
advice, technical assistance and standard setting/registration to Geriatric ward in 
13 
every Tertiary hospital, Nursing Homes, Retirement Homes, and Residential 
14 
Center catering to the health and social functioning needs of senior citizens, 
15 
subject to the Joint Guidelines mentioned in the immediately preceding 
16 
paragraph; and 
17 
e. To establish Geriatric Wards manned by medical personnel with expertise and/or 
18 
training in Geriatrics in every government and private tertiary hospital, subject to 
19 
the Guidelines that shall be issued by the Department of Health. 
20 
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Sec. 7. Powers 
- For the attainment and furtherance of the above cited 
22 
purposes and objectives, the NGHC, as a body corporate acting through its Board of 
23 
Trustees, shall have all the powers pertaining to a juridical person, and is authorized, 
24 
among other things to: 
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a. Acquire, hold an own in any manner, property of whatever nature or description, 
26 
and to dispose of such property, under any mode of encumbrance or 
27 
conveyance; 
28 
b. Enter into, make, perform and carry out contracts of every kind and for any 
29 
purpose with any person, firm, association or corporation, whether public, private, 
30 
domestic and foreign; 
31 
c. Mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, conveyor otherwise dispose of its properties; 
32 
d. Solicit and receive donations, endowments and funds in the form of contributions, 
33 
whether in cash or in kind, from both the public and private sectors and from 
34 
domestic and foreign sources; 
35 
e. Open such accounts in banks and other financial institutions, and to disburse 
36 
such funds or invest the same as the Board of Trustees may direct or authorize 
37 
to accomplish or advance the purposes or interest of the NGHC; 
3 


1 
f. 
Invite foreign or local specialists and similar experts in various medical fields to 
2 
train the personnel and residents of the NGHC; 
3 
g. Send the personnel of the NGHC to research on medical institutes for advance 
4 
training or observation, and to attend international or regional conventions, 
5 
conferences or seminars as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary, to 
6 
accomplish the purposes and objectives of the NGHC; 
7 
h. Enter into such agreements and arrangements with other medical or similar 
8 
institutions, domestic or foreign, as may be deemed desirable by the Board of 
9 
Trustees toward promoting the purposes and objectives of the NGHC; 
10 
i. 
Adopt a set of by-laws and regulations, policies, guidelines and procedures 
11 
consistent with law and the provisions of this Act to govern the administration and 
12 
operation of the NGHC; 
13 
j. 
Do all such other acts and things as are or may be necessary for or incidental to 
14 
the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the NGHC. 
15 
16 
Sec. 8. Program for Indigents - The Board of Trustees shall ensure that the 
17 
NGHC shall adopt and enforce a program for indigents. The number of beds allocated 
, 
18 
for indigent patients shall not be less than twenty percent (20%) of the total number of 
19 
hospital beds. 
20 
21 
Sec. 9. Security of Tenure of Civil Service Officers and Employees of the 
22 
NGHC -
The provisions of Republic Act No. 6656 entitled "An Act to Protect the 
23 
Security of Tenure of Civil Service Officers and Employees in the Implementation of 
24 
Government Reorganization", existing civil service laws, rules and regulations and other 
25 
applicable laws shall apply to all officers and employees of the NGHC except to the 
26 
members of the Board of Trustees. 
27 
28 
Sec. 10. Tax Exemption and Other Privileges - Being a non-profit, non-stock 
29 
corporation organized primarily to provide delivery of integrated geriatric health services 
30 
to promote healthy ageing in the Philippines and help combat the increasing incidence 
31 
of degenerative diseases, frailty and disability and provide services for senior citizens 
32 
with the threatening diseases in the Philippines, 
33 
a. All donations, contributions, endowments and equipment and supplies imported 
34 
by the NGHC for its actual use and benefit shall be exempt from tax of any 
35 
nature or kind; 
36 
b. The NGHC shall be exempt from payment of taxes, charges and fees being 
37 
imposed by the government, its political subdivisions or instrumentalities, 
38 
including local government units for equipment purchased for its use; and 
4 


1 
c. The NGHC may request and receive assistance from the different Agencies, 
2 
Bureaus, Offices or Instrumentalities of the govemment including the Philippine 
3 
Charity Sweepstakes office (PCSO) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming 
4 
Corporation (PAGCOR) in the pursuit of its purposes and objectives. 
5 
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Sec. 11. Government Subsidy and Contributions -
The amount of Three 
7 
Hundred Million Pesos (P300,000,000) is hereby appropriated as contribution of the 
8 
National Government for the initial operations and maintenance of the NGHC for the 
9 
year 2010. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continued operation and 
10 
maintenance of the NGHC shall be duly provided for, appropriated and released from 
11 
the National Budget. Such funds shall be administered by the Board of Trustees. 
12 
13 
Sec. 12. Auditing - The books of account of the NGHC shall be subject to 
14 
periodic audit by an independent auditing firm to be commissioned by the Board of 
15 
Trustees, provided that such audit shall be subject to review by the Commission on 
16 
Audit. 
17 
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Sec. 13. Annual Report - The NGHC shall render an Annual Report of its 
19 
activities, accomplishments and recommendations to the President of the Philippines, 
20 
the Committee on Health and Social Services in both Houses of Congress, Secretary of 
21 
the Department of Health and the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and 
22 
Development. 
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Sec. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations - The Secretary of Health shall, 
25 
within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate the Implementing Rules 
26 
and Regulations for the effective and efficient implementation of the provisions of this 
27 
Act in consultation with the following agencies and offices: 
28 
a. 
Depa~ment of Social Welfare and Development; 
29 
b. Department of Health; 
30 
c. Commission on Higher Education and; 
31 
d. Department of Finance. 
32 
33 
Sec. 15. Effect of Dissolution - In the event the NGHC is dissolved for any 
34 
reason, its property remaining at the time of such dissolution shall be placed under the 
35 
Department of Health. 
36 
37 
Sec. 16. Separability Clause - If any section or provision of this Act is held 
38 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions shall not be affected. 
5 


, . 
Sec. 17. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days after 
2 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general 
3 
circulation. 
4 
5 
Approved, 
6