Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL'NO. 2807

Introduced by Honorable Winston “Winnie” T. Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This serves as a counterpart measure to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada's Senate
Bill No. 610 filed in this 15" Congress inasmuch as the views expressed therein
are worth subscribing to.

Indeed, clear enough in our declared State policies are the focus and
attention that should be given to indigent children as contained in Section 3 (2) of
Article XV of the Constitution as well as echoed in Article 3 (4) of Presidential
Decree No. 603 or the Child Welfare Code.

With this House bill, it opens new hope since it makes it mandatory for all
government and private hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries, and
puericulture centers to give free medical and dental assistance to indigent
children in danger of dying or may have suffered physical injuries requiring
immediate medical attention.

For income tax purposes, these incurred exp losses for the
medicines, facilities or services extended for the caré and treaiment of indigent
children by said private hospital, medical center, <linic, infirmary dr puericulture
center shall be deductible expenses/losses.

The rights of the child take paramount cqnsideration, hence tHle immediate
passage of this bill is earnestly prayed for.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 2807

Introduced by Congressman Winston “Winnie” T. Castelo

AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS, MEDICAL
CENTERS, CLINICS, INFIRMARIES, AND PUERICULTURE CENTERS TO
GIVE FREE MEDICAL AND DENTAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIGENT CHILDREN

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

SECTION 4. All government and private hospitals, medical centers,
clinics, infirmaries or puericulture centers duly licensed to operate as such, are
hereby required to render medical and dental services to indigent children,
regardless of whether or not they are in danger of dying and/or may have
suffered physical injuries requiring immediate medical attention.

For purposes of this Act, an “indigent child” is an unemancipated child
below eighteen (18) years of age who has health problems requiring medical and
dental services for his care and treatment, taking into account the following
factors:

(a) the age of the child;

(b) the financial condition of the family;

(c) the degree of deprivation of parental care and support: and
(d) the inability of his parents to exercise parental authority

SEC. 2. The expenses and losses of earings incurred by a private
hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary or puericulture center, or by an
individual physician or dentist for medicine, facilities and services extended to the
care and treatment of an indigent child as required herein in an amount not
exceeding P300,000.00 per year, shall be deductible expenses and losses for
income tax purposes which may be carried over a period of five (5) years.


SEC. 3. Any hospital director, administrator, officer-in-charge, physician
or dentist in a hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary, or puericulture center
who shall refuse or fail without good cause to render the appropriate medical or
dental service pursuant to Section 1 of this Act, after this case has been brought
to his/her attention, or any nurse, midwife, medical or dental attendant who shall
refuse to extend the appropriate assistance, subject to existing rules, or neglects
to notify or call the attention of a physician or dentist in attendance, shall be
punished with imprisonment of at least one (1) year or a fine of not more than
Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00), or both fine and imprisonment at the
sound discretion of the Court.

In the case of government hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries,
or puericulture centers, the license to operate shall be suspended or revoked.

SEC. 4. The Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the
Department of Social Welfare and Development shall have the authority to
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying into
effect the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 5. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or two (2) newspapers of general cirulcation.

Approved,