Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The enactment of Republic Act No. 6786 on 29 November 1989 renamed the National Orthopedic 
Hospital and Rehabilitation Medical Center to the currently recognized Philippine Orthopedic 
Center (POC). 
This bill seeks to modernize the services and equipment of the Philippine Orthopedic Center in 
order to continuously serve its purpose being the center for trauma and orthopedics. It currently 
accommodates a 700-bed capacity being a tertiary special hospital functioning under the 
Department of Health (DOH) that needs to be boosted as the population that needs medical care 
within Metro Manila for the past decades hastily increased. Its location at Banawe Avenue corner 
Maria Clara, Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City caters an enormous population of the Metro Manila 
because of its strategic neighborhood. An upgrade is urgently wanted in this hospital give priority 
to the unwell especially now that our nation is experiencing a worldwide health crises. 
The 1987 Constitution is explicit in mandating that it is the responsibility of the State to “adopt 
an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make 
essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost.1” 
This bill ought to set and make higher standards in our healthcare system by a furnishing 
prevailing technologies and organization modifications to make POC more receptive, accessible 
and efficient in delivering medical and rehabilitative care to the general public with 
musculoskeletal disorder and other related conditions. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the 
Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
1 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XII, Section 11 on Health 
July 23, 2021
9:58 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE ORTHOPEDIC CENTER, UPGRADING ITS 
SERVICE FACILITIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
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 the “Philippine Orthopedic Center 
Rehabilitation and Modernization Act”.  
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to modernize the 
health care delivery system to a level where it can fully and effectively perform its constitutional 
mandate to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness 
among them. 
Towards this end, the State shall undertake the modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center 
(POC), which is the country's only tertiary special hospital under the Department of Health tasked 
to provide quality orthopedic, rehabilitation and other services relating .to musculoskeletal 
disorder and related conditions.  
SEC. 3. Objective. – There shall be developed a POC Modernization Plan which shall have the 
following objectives: 
a) Undertake the repair and rehabilitation of the POC to be a premier specialty tertiary
orthopedic hospital, referral center, and training institute;
b) Upgrade, modernize, acquire and procure state-of-the-art medical equipment, the latest
model of critical apparatus, instruments, the renovation and modernization of its facilities
and the application of the new technologies to improve the hospital's capabilities in
providing timely and reliable medical services for its patients; and
c) Render quality health and medical care services to indigent patients by maintaining
seventy percent (70%) allocation of beds for government-sponsored patients.
SEC. 4. POC Modernization Plan. – The POC Modernization Plan shall principally be a re-
tooling of POC with modem equipment and facilities, including but not limited to, procurement of 
the latest and most up-to-date medical instruments, tools and apparatus; repair major areas 
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which need to be rehabilitated such as patient rooms and wards, operating rooms, lavatory areas 
and comfort rooms, and other physical facilities; and repair and repainting of POC buildings and 
its environment. 
 
SEC. 5. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Council. – For the purposes of formulating 
and adopting the POC Modernization Plan, there is hereby created a POC Rehabilitation and 
Modernization Council composed of seven (7) members which shall be headed by the Secretary 
of Health as its Ex-Officio Chairman and the POC Medical Center Chief as Co-Chairman. Its 
members shall be composed of representatives of academic and medical communities in the field 
of Orthopedic medicine and other stakeholders as may be determined by the Secretary of Health.  
 
SEC. 6. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Fund. – There is hereby created the 
Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) - Rehabilitation and Modernization fund which shall be used 
exclusively to fund the modernization plan provided under this Act.  
 
The initial amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos (PhP500,000,000) to comprise the said fund 
shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year immediately following the approval 
of this Act.  
 
The total amount allocated herein shall be used exclusively for the rehabilitation and/or repair, 
renovation of POC, the procurement of hospital materials, equipment, furniture and fixtures 
pursuant to the program and guidelines as determined by the Council.  
 
SEC. 7. Rules and Regulations. – The DOH shall, within ninety (90) days from effectivity of 
this Act, issue the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 8. Annual Report. – The Council shall submit to the Office of the President and Congress, 
through the House and Senate Committees on Health, an annual report on the outcome and 
progress of its activities.  
 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. – Should any provision or part of this Act be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions and parts hereof, insofar as they are separable 
from the invalid ones, shall remain in full force and effect.  
 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, issuances rules and regulations or parts 
thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,