EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
S E N  A T E  
s. B. No. o 9 9
'19 
JUL 23 P5«8 
f ) :—
Introduced by Senator SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
INSTITU TIO N ALIZIN G  AN 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM, 
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT, SUPERVISION AND REGULATION 
OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROFESSION, AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 
Constitution 
mandates 
the 
State 
to 
adopt "an 
integrated 
and 
comprehensive approach to health development...to make essential goods, health 
and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost."
Various laws have already been enacted in recent years, not to mention 
several policies implemented, to realize this constitutional mandate of achieving 
universal healthcare.
And the foregoing measure aligns with this goal, as it aims to establish, 
institutionalize and strengthen an emergency medical services system (EMSS) 
throughout the country. 
Such EMSS would constitute the overarching policy 
framework governing the provision of emergency medicine (EM) in each of the 
country's Local Government Units (LGUs).
Emergency medicine is a specialized discipline in the medical field focused on 
giving timely and coordinated health and safety services to victims of sudden illness 
or injury, prior to them reaching hospitals, health centers or other brick-and-mortar 
healthcare facilities.
In fact, according to papers delivered at the October 2013 Asian Conference 
on Emergency Medicine, the Philippines was one of the earliest among participating 
countries who officially recognized pre-hospital EM as a separate discipline (1988)


and instituted post-graduate EM exams (1990)1 to recognize and certify EM 
physicians and nurses.
Despite these early developments however, EM in the country has fallen 
behind, as a national society for EM was established only in 2011. According to data 
cited at the 2013 Asian Conference on Emergency Medicine, the Philippines only has 
3,300 recognized Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel. And out of a reported 
1,795 hospitals in the country, only 200 (or 11 percent) can be considered 
"emergency hospitals"—that is, facilities that are capable of providing quality EM 
care. This is especially alarming as, according to a World Health Organization 2017 
data, about 7,000 Filipinos die each year due to road traffic accidents.
The foregoing measure aims to reverse this situation, by mandating LGUs to 
establish emergency dispatch centers with adequate and qualified personnel 
equipped with emergency transport vehicles like ambulances.
A National EMSS Advisory Committee, co-chaired by the Department of Health 
(DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), shall be 
created to ensure the establishment of a nationwide EMS network.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is also called on to 
develop a working system for a national emergency number, such as the 911 
emergency hotline rolled out under the Duterte Administration.
The measure also stipulates that each LGU, hospital and healthcare facility 
should have a minimum number of positions for Emergency Medical Technicians 
(EMTs), the salaries of which should be included in the annual financial requirements 
of their respective institutions.
As more work is put into improving the country's health system, we earnestly 
seek the swift passage of this measure.
SONNY ANGARA
1 Pek, Jen Heng et al. 2016. "Emergency medicine as a specialty in Asia." Acute Medicine & Surgery, 3: 65-73. 
Accessible via http://onlinelibrarv.wilev.eom/doi/10.1002/amsZ.154/abstract. [Accessed on June 20, 2017].


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENVcfq
S. B. No.
of tijj sipcreurp
•19 JUL 23 P5 «8
RECt.v.i:
Introduced by Senator SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
INSTITU TIO N ALIZIN G  AN 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM, 
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT, SUPERVISION AND REGULATION 
OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROFESSION, AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Emergency Medical Services 
System (EMSS) Act."
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. -  It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health 
consciousness among them. Pursuant to this national policy, the government shall 
institutionalize a comprehensive, accessible and integrated system of emergency 
medical services.
Sec. 3. Objectives. -  In support of State policy, this Act:
a) 
Mandates the development and institutionalization of EMSS at the national 
and local levels;
b) 
Creates a national EMSS Advisory Committee;
c) 
Establishes the national standards for the provision of Emergency Medical 
Services (EMS);
d) 
Ensures the provision of qualified EMS personnel;


1 
e) 
Mandates the adoption and use of a National Universal Emergency Number;
2 
and
3 
f) 
Establishes support services to emergency medical services.
4 
Sec. 4. Definition o f Terms. -  For purposes of this Act, the following terms are
5 
hereby defined:
6 
a) 
Accredited Training Institution refers to a training institution offering training
7 
programs, courses and continuing education for EMS personnel that meet the
8 
standards established by the EMS Advisory Committee in coordination with
9 
physicians. Emergency Medical Technicians, nurses, and other health care
10 
professionals, TESDA, and CHED, among others, and are duly registered in
11 
good standing with the EMS Advisory Committee;
12 
b) 
Automated External Defibrillator (AED) refers to a portable device that checks
13 
the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore
14 
a normal rhythm. AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA);
15 
c) 
Command and Control refers to the multi-faceted supervision or medical
16 
oversight by the EMS medical director in handling the processes of EMS
17 
operations that may affect patient care directly through provision of orders to
18 
an EMS personnel over the radio, by phone, or on-scene; or indirectly through
19 
the development and 
promulgation of protocols, 
the education 
and
20 
credentialing of EMS personnel, the conduction of quality improvement
21 
activities, and the increased advocacy of appropriate EMS for the patients;
22 
d) 
Emergency Medical Dispatch refers to the immediate identification and
23 
prioritization of emergency situations, the timely dispatch of appropriate
24 
resources, 
providing essential 
pre-arrival medical instructions and full
25 
endorsement to the receiving hospital. Dispatch encompasses all aspects of
26 
communication including request processing, coordination and support,
27 
documentation and monitoring;
28 
e) 
Emergency Medical Service Personnel refers to unique health care personnel
29 
involved in the practice of pre-hospital care, which includes provision of
30 
medical care, systematic coordination and transportation of patients with
31 
medical direction. They may include Medical 
First Responder (MFR),


1 
Ambulance Care Assistants (ACA), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT),
2 
Paramedics, Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) and EMS Medical Director;
3 
f) 
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) refer to the 
network of services
4 
coordinated to provide aid and medical assistance from the scene to the most
5 
appropriate and definitive health facilities, involving personnel trained in
6 
stabilization, transportation, and treatment of trauma or medical cases in the
7 
pre-hospital setting;
8 
g) 
Emergency Medical Services System (EMSS) refers 
to a comprehensive
9 
system which provides the arrangement of personnel, 
facilities, 
and
10 
equipment for effective, coordinated, and timely delivery of health and safety
11 
services to victims of sudden illness or injury in the pre-hospital setting. The
12 
conceptual framework of the system revolves around five components and
13 
core services of pre-hospital management namely: Emergency Medical
14 
Dispatch, Emergency Response and Care, Emergency Transport, Inter-agency
15 
referral and Transport, and Command and Control;
16 
h) 
Emergency Response and Care refers to the arrival of resources at the scene
17 
and the timely initiation and provision of appropriate interventions;
18 
i) 
Emergency Transport refers to transporting the 
patient to the most
19 
appropriate and definitive health facility with continued provision of care and
20 
appropriate interventions en route;
21 
j) 
Emergency Medical Vehicles refer to an ambulance or other vehicles for
22 
emergency medical care which 
provides, a 
minimum, 
(a) a driver's
23 
compartment; (b) a patient compartment to accommodate an emergency
24 
medical technician (EMT) and a patient so positioned that said patient can be
25 
given intensive life-support during transit; (c) equipment and supplies for
26 
emergency care at the scene as well as during transport; (d) two-way radio,
27 
telephone or electronic communication with the primary medical services
28 
provider, and 
when necessary, 
equipment for light rescue/extrication
29 
procedures. The emergency medical vehicle shall be so designed and
30 
constructed to provide the patient with safety and comfort, and avoid
31 
aggravation of the patient's injury or illness; and


1 
k) 
Inter-Agency Referral and Transport refers to the transport of patient with
2 
EMS personnel, if necessary, from one referring facility or agency to another
3 
receiving facility or agency for definitive care, as the patient requires, in an
4 
event that the services are not available in the referring facility.
5 
CHAPTER I I
6 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM
7 
Sec. 5. Emergency Dispatch. -  This Act mandates local government units to
8 
create their Dispatch Centers with adequate and qualified personnel. The Dispatch
9 
Centers shall follow the prescribed guidelines on dispatch protocol.
10 
Sec. 6. Emergency Response and Care. -  This Act ensures the availability of
11 
emergency transport vehicle or ambulance with qualified EMS personnel. Responders
12 
shall follow the prescribed guidelines on emergency response and care.
13 
Sec. 7. Emergency Transport -  This Act shall follow the prescribed guidelines
14 
of the Department of Health on Ambulance Services. The Philippine Health Insurance
15 
Corporation (PHIC) shall provide coverage for EMS subject to their policies and
16 
guidelines.
17 
Sec. 8. Inter-agency Referral and Transport. -  This Act shall establish the
18 
prescribed protocols / guidelines on inter-agency referral and transport.
19 
Sec. 9. Command and Control. -  This Act mandates the establishment of a
20 
National Command Center with a functional Universal Emergency Number. All Local
21 
Government Units shall establish their respective Command Centers with designated
22 
qualified EMS medical director. 
Command Centers shall govern the EMS systems
23 
based on the prescribed operational guidelines. The Command Center can be co-
24 
located with the Dispatch Center.
25 
CHAPTER I I I
26 
NATIONAL EMSS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
27 
Sec. 10. Creation o f the National EMSS Advisory Committee. -  The National
28 
EMSS Advisory Committee is hereby created under the leadership of the Department
29 
of Health (DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
30 
Sec. 11. Membership o f the EMSS Advisory Committee. -  The members of the
31 
EMSS Advisory Committee shall be composed of the Secretary of the DOH as


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
Chairperson, and the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local 
Government (DILG) as Co-Chairperson with the following:
a) Permanent Members -
The Chair of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC);
The Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ); 
ill. 
The Secretary of the Department of Education (DEPED);
iv. 
The Secretary of the Department of Transport (DOT);
V. 
The Secretary of the Department of Information, Communication and 
Technology (DICT);
vi. 
The Director of the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC);
vii. 
The Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND);
viii. 
The Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);
ix. 
The Director General of Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA).
b) Members to be appointed by the Secretary of the DOH upon nomination by their 
respective associations -
i. 
Two (2) nominees of a national organization representing the EMT 
profession duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(SEC) and recognized by the DOH;
ii. 
Four (4) nominees of HEMB, one (1) each from the National Capital 
Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao;
iii. 
Two 
(2) 
registered 
emergency 
medical 
practitioners 
representing 
Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM);
iv. 
One (1) representative from the Philippine Red Cross.
Sec. 12. Term o f Office. -  Each member of the EMSS Advisory Committee 
shall not serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms. A term shall be for a 
period of two (2) years.
Sec. 13. Functions. -  To carry out its mandate, the EMSS Advisory Committee 
shall exercise the following functions:
a) 
Ensure the establishment of a system of networking & coordination among all 
existing government health agencies, local government units (LGUs), private


1 
and non-government medical institutions for the effective implementation of
2 
the bill;
3 
b) 
Ensure the development of national standards for the provision of Emergency
4 
Medical Services; and
5 
c) 
Determine staffing, duties, qualifications, responsibilities, and functions of the
6 
Secretariat.
7 
Sec. 14. The Secretariat. -  The EMSS Advisory Committee shall organize a
8 
Secretariat headed by a person of probity and shall have at least five (5) years
9 
experience in emergency medical services or a related field.
10 
Sec. 15. Meetings. -  The EMSS Advisory Committee shall meet at least once
11 
every quarter and as needed.
12 
CHAPTER IV
13 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) PERSONNEL
14 
Sec. 
16. Creation o f Positions for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
15 
Personnel. -  This Act shall create a minimum number of positions for EMS personnel
16 
especially Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in the all local government units
17 
and healthcare facilities, according to their context and needs. The annual financial
18 
requirements needed to pay for the salaries and benefits of EMS personnel shall be
19 
included in the annual general appropriations of the respective hospitals, agencies
20 
and local government units.
21 
Sec. 17. Authorized Training Institution. -  Training programs, course, and
22 
continuing education for Emergency Medical Technician may only be conducted in an
23 
institution ha has been granted a Certificate of Program Registration (COPR) by
24 
TESDA, in the case of technical non-degree courses falling under TESDA jurisdiction,
25 
or a Certificate of Accreditation as a Higher Education Institution (HEI) as well as
26 
Program Accreditation by CHED, in the case of degree programs falling under CHED
27 
jurisdiction. The requirements prescribed by the EMSS Advisory Committee shall
28 
serve as the minimum requirement for program registration. The DOH can provide
29 
training programs for EMTs following the standards set by the EMSS Advisory
30 
Committee.


1 
CHAPTER V
2 
EQUIPMENTS AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR EMS
3 
Sec. 18. Emergency Medical Vehicles. -  This Act shall follow the prescribed
4 
guidelines of the Department of Health on the specification and equipage of an
5 
Ambulance Service.
6 
Sec. 19. Adoption o f a National Universal Emergency Telephone Number. -
1 
There shall only be one national emergency number to enable the public to access
8 
emergency 
medical 
services 
(911). 
Towards 
this 
end, 
the 
National
9 
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) shall develop a program for the adoption of
10 
a national emergency number with the LGUs and officials responsible for emergency
11 
service and public safety; the telecommunications industry (specifically including the
12 
cellular and other wireless telecommunications service providers); the motor vehicle
13 
manufacturing industry; emergency medical service providers; emergency dispatch
14 
providers; transportation officials; public safety, fire service and law enforcement
15 
officials; consumer groups; and hospital emergency and trauma care personnel
16 
(including emergency physicians, trauma surgeons and nurses).
17 
Sec. 20. Access to Automated External Defibrillators (AED). -  This Act shall
18 
mandate all government/public and private institutions, including malls, parks and
19 
transport stations, to place at least one (1) automated defibrillator in their respective
20 
areas of responsibility.
21 
CHAPTER V I
22 
OTHER PROVISIONS
23 
Sec. 21. Appropriations. -  The Secretaries of the Departments concerned
24 
shall include in their programs the implementation of this Act, the funding of which
25 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
26 
Sec. 22. Separability Clause. -  If any portion or provision of this Act is
27 
subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions hereof which are
28 
not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
29 
Sec. 23. Repealing Clause. -  All other laws, acts, presidential decrees,
30 
executive orders, presidential proclamations, issuances, rules and regulations, or
31 
parts thereof which are contrary to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this
32 
Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.


1 
Sec. 24. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
2 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
8