Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

* TIME 42
\e BY
4
g
Wo nine y
TWENTIETH CONGRESS _
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 484

Introduced by Representative Crispin Diego “Ping” D. Remulla

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE BLOOD CENTER AND REGIONAL
BLOOD CENTERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 7719, or the “National Blood Services Act of 1994,” laid the
groundwork for a voluntary, nonprofit-based national blood program, recognizing blood as a

public resource essential to healthcare.

To implement this mandate, the Department of Health created the Philippine Blood
Center (PBC) through Administrative Order No. 2005-0002. As the primary blood facility of
the Department of Health (DOH), the PBC manages the collection, testing, processing, and
distribution of blood and its components nationwide. However, the absence of a legal charter
leaves the PBC dependent on the National Voluntary Blood Services Program budget, limiting

its operational stability and responsiveness during health emergencies.

This measure aims to institutionalize the PBC through legislation and establish
Regional Blood Centers under the supervision of the DOH regional offices. By formalizing its
structure and securing funding, the bill strengthens the delivery of equitable and reliable blood

services nationwide and reinforces the government's duty to protect public health.


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

CRISPIN DIEGO “PING” D. REMULLA


©Oavaunewne

11
12
13
oc
15
16
7

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

464

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Crispin Diego “Ping” D. Remulla

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE BLOOD CENTER AND REGIONAL
BLOOD CENTERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 "Philippine Blood Center
Act."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Towards this end,
the State shall establish a Philippine Blood Center which will become the national and central
hub of blood services in the country, overseeing the collection, testing, processing, storage, and
distribution of blood and blood components.

SEC. 3. The Philippine Blood Center. - There shall be established a Philippine Blood
Center under the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH). The
Philippine Blood Center shall be the national blood center of the Philippines.

SEC. 4. Purposes and Objectives. - The Philippine Blood Center, as the premier blood
service facility of the Philippines, will have the capability to:

(a) Centrally recruit, motivate, and screen blood donors;

(b) Centrally collect, test for transfusion-transmissible infections, process, store, issue,

and transport blood and blood components for transfusion;

(c) Perform special immunohematology tests;

(d) Provide information, educate, and counsel on transfusion-transmissible infections;


(€) Create a database for blood donors in accordance with Republic Act No. 10173 or
the Data Privacy Act of 2012;

(f) Conduct quality assurance and surveillance;

(g) Establish a national hemovigilance system;

(h) Conduct training and research in blood banking and related technologies and fields

as basis for national policy-making;

(i) Capacitate regional blood centers;

(J) Administer to the resource stratification for national blood services in collaboration

with regional blood centers; and

(k) Other functions assigned by the DOH.

SEC. 5. Regional Blood Centers. - All regions of the Philippines shall have regional
blood centers which shall be under the direct control and supervision of the Philippine Blood
Center. The regional blood centers shall be the local region hub for regional blood services.

SEC. 6. Non-profit Operations. - The Philippine Blood Center and the Regional Blood
Centers shall operate on a non-profit basis: Provided, that, it may collect blood service fees not
greater than the maximum prescribed by the DOH which shall be limited to the necessary
expenses entailed in collecting, processing and testing of blood. Blood shall be collected from
healthy voluntary donors only.

SEC. 7. Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern. - The DOH will craft staffing
standards and create new positions as necessary to ensure the appropriate human resources for
the operation of the Philippine Blood Center and Regional Blood Centers subject to the
approval of the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Budget and Management.

SEC. 8. Directors. - The Philippine Blood Center and the Regional Blood Centers shall
be led by a Director appointed by the President of the Philippines, upon recommendation by
the Secretary of Health,

SEC. 9. Program for Indigents. - ‘The DOH shall ensure that the Philippine Blood
Center shall adopt and enforce a program for indigents needing blood and blood components
in accordance to the implementing guidelines on the classification of patients and on availing
of the Medical Social Services in Government Hospitals.

SEC. 10. Tax Exemptions and Other Privileges. ~The provision of any general or
special law to the contrary notwithstanding, all donations, grants, contributions, gifts or
endowments received by the Philippine Blood Center and the Regional Blood Centers pursuant
hereto, shall be exempt from income, gift and all other kinds of taxes, and shall be further


CoV nunewne

11
12
13
14
15
16
v7
18
19
20
2
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

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.

SEC. 11. Establishment of a Trust Fund. - A trust fund shall be established out of the
retained income from collected blood service fees. The trust fund shall be used for the
operations of the Philippine Blood Center and the Regional Blood Centers.

SEC. 12. Emergency Blood Reserve System. — The Philippine Blood Center shall
develop and maintain an Emergency Blood Reserve System to ensure adequate supply during
disasters, disease outbreaks, armed conflict, and other emergencies. The DOH shall coordinate
with the NDRRMC and other relevant agenci

SEC. 13. Annual Report. - The Philippine Blood Center shall submit an annual report

for logistical and distribution support.

to the President of the Philippines, the Department of Health, the Senate Committee on Health
and Demography and the House Committee on Health, on its activities, accomplishments and
recommendations to better address and improve the safe supply of blood in the Philippines.

SEC. 14, Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of Health in
coordination with the Department of Budget and Management, shall promulgate such rules and
regulations necessary for the implementation of this Act within sixty (60) days from its
effectivity.

SEC. 15. Appropriations. - The amount needed for the initial implementation of this
Act, including maintenance and other operating expenses of the Philippine Blood Center shall
be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the DOH. For the succeeding years, the
amount allocated for the Philippine Blood Center in the DOH budget shall be based on its
strategic plan, in coordination with other stakeholders.

SEC.

Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of the Act is declared void
or unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be affected by such

declaration.

SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, acts, executive orders, administrative orders,
rules and regulations inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 18, Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete

publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,