SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 
828
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*16 JUL21 
P2 53
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Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
PROMOTING THE TREATMENT AND ERADICATION OF TUBERCULOSIS, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 12 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7875, AS 
AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10606, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL 
FILIPINOS AND ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE 
CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE”
Explanatory Note
Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient infectious disease which has probably killed more people 
than any other disease in history. Around 2 billion people in the world are infected with the TB 
bacilli, of which about 10% become ill with TB at some point in their life.
In the Philippines, tuberculosis remains to be a major public health concern. It ranks 6th 
in the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the country. Although diagnosed as curable, 
an average of 75 Filipinos, mostly from the productive age group of 15-64, still die of the disease 
everyday. It is also estimated that the country is losing approximately P8 billion annually from 
sickness and deaths due to tuberculosis.2
Tlie tragedy of TB is that it continues to spread and kill, despite the availability of a cure 
for the past 50 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) report that people ill with TB can 
infect 10 to 15 others through close contact over the course of a year2. Without proper treatment, 
two thirds of them may die. Poverty, poor living conditions, limited health sector budgets, unfair 
financing systems that burden the poor, and inferior health systems have led to a resurgence of
The Philippines ranks 8th in the WHO watch-list of 22 higli-burdened countries in the 
world which constitute 80% of global tuberculosis cases4. Though this is a positive development 
coming from rank 6U in the previous years, the burden of TB incidence in the Philippines 
remains high at 296 per 100,000 population per year.
See 
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