Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Motes Manila

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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7169

House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY
REP. ALFRED 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 to 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. Je
ALFRED ct


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

«7169
House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY
REP. ALFRED 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 “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 character tics 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;


(@) Geriatrician - refers to a medical doctor wo is specially trained to
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;

(c) 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

() 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

(4) 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 bases 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-terms courses for medical doctors
and allied medical professionals; and

(a) 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 of the
Organizational Position Classification and Compensation Bureau of the
Department of Budget and Management. The DOH may recognize said
structure, modify staffing pattern, 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 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,