NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
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•22 JUL11 P6 ‘13
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S. No. 
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Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TERTIARY CARE 
HOSPITALS IN ALL REGIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the existing gaps and 
problems that beset our country's health care system. With the growth in the number 
of infected persons, hospitals and other health facilities even in the National Capital 
Region reached their full capacities1. During the initial days of the pandemic, we only 
have the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine as the sole confirmatory testing 
laboratory for the virus in the whole Philippines2. The situation is even worse in the 
provinces. Already a month into the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), for the 
whole of Mindanao, testing for COVID-19 can only be done at the Southern Philippines 
Medical Center in Davao City3. For Visayas area, there are only two testing 
laboratories: Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu and Western Visayas 
Medical Center in Iloilo4. The prognosis for our health care system, as revealed by
1 Yamsuan, Cathy Canares and Jovic Yee, 5 Metro Manila hospitals reach full capacity for 
COVID-19 cases. Inquirer.net (25 March 2020). Retrieved from:
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/l 247913/5-metro-hospitals-reach-full-capacity-for-covid-19- 
cases
2 Modesto, Catherine. How COVID-19 testing is conducted in PH. CNN Philippines. (20 
March 2020). Retrieved from: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/20/coronavirus- 
testing-in-philippines.html
3 Colina, Antonio IV. RITM plans to capacitate DavNor hospital for testing of COVID-19. 
MindaNews. (15 April 2020). Retrieved from: https://www.mindanews.com/top- 
stories/2020/04/ritm-plans-to-capacitate-davnor-hospital-for-testing-of-covid-19/
4 
laboratories now testing for COVID-19. CNN Philippines. (15 April 2020). Retrieved 
from: https://cnnphilippines.eom/news/2020/4/l 5/16-laboratories-now-testing-for-COVID- 
19.html


how we responded to this pandemic, is bleak - it is in bad shape and is in dire need 
of upgrading.
According to the 2019 DOH Hospitals Profile, the National Capital Region has 
the most tertiary care DOH hospital with 16. Regions I, II, and III have three each. 
Regions V, VI, VII, and XI have two each. Regions IV-A, VIII, IX, X, XII, and CAR have 
only one. Region IV-B and XIII do not have a level 3 hospital.5
Ang layunin po natin ay hindi na kailanganin ng ating mga kababayan na 
pumunta pa sa Metro Manila o sa malalayong lugar mula sa kanila upang makatanggap 
ng serbisyo ng tertiary hospital. Sa ganito po ay makababa was na po sa gastos nila at 
mapapalaki pa po lalo ang pagkakataon na maagapan ang kanilang karamdaman dahil 
po may agarang iunas na higit na malapit sa kanilang pamayanan.
One way that we can improve its ailing condition is to build and establish more 
hospitals all over the country, specifically new hospitals which are classified as tertiary 
care facilities. The mission is not only to give universal access to health care, but to 
give universal access to a health care institution with world-class quality medical 
services and are at par with international standards and best practices. This proposed 
measure envisions that all of the regions will have their own tertiary care hospitals 
within five (5) years from its effectivity, with top priority being given to regions which 
do not have any regional hospital of whatever classification lower than tertiary care.
This bill also provides that provinces which are geographically isolated from 
their region's tertiary care hospital such as island provinces shall have the priority for 
the establishment of a tertiary care hospital of their own. To ease the budgetary 
burden to the government, new facilities need not be constructed for areas which 
already have regional hospitals - instead they shall only be considered for upgrading, 
modernization and conversion to a tertiary care hospital. With this program, our 
constituents in the provinces will no longer have to travel all the way to Metro Manila 
or the highly urbanized cities of neighboring regions in order to attend to their medical 
needs.
5 DOH Hospitals Profile. Retrieved from:
https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/flles/publications/DOH-Hospitals-Profile_0.pdf


In view of this, early passage of this bill is sought.
EL "LITO" M. LAPID
Senator 
>


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
S. NoSEN^T^9
^enafe
i0fftcr of jJjp
■22 JUL 11 P6:13
received BY:
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TERTIARY CARE 
HOSPITALS IN ALL REGIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Regional Tertiary Care
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Hospitals Act."
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Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared as the policy of the 
State to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development, 
which shall be available and accessible to all the people at affordable cost. Towards 
this end, the Philippine health delivery system must be reformed and modernized in 
order for it to be available, accessible and affordable pursuant to the common goal of 
bringing universal health care for Filipinos.
Section 3. Establishment of Tertiary Care Hospitals in AH Regions. - Within five 
(5) years from the effectivity of this Act, all regions must have at least one (1) tertiary 
care hospital operating within its territorial jurisdiction. The Department of Health 
(DOH) must formulate a prioritization plan for the purpose of implementing this Act, 
subject to the following priority considerations:
a. Regions which do not have a tertiary care hospitals;
b. Regions with provinces with significant population but which are 
geographically isolated (e.g. island provinces);
c. Regions with low population-to-tertiary care hospital ratio; and
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d. Regions with existing level 2 hospitals that could be considered for
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upgrading, modernization and conversion to a tertiary care hospital.
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Section 4. Audit and Inventory of Regional Hospitals. - Within six (6) months
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from the promulgation of the implementing rules and regulations of this Act, an audit
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and inventory of the physical facilities, equipment and instruments as well as the
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personnel of the Regional Hospitals shall be conducted to determine the present
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classification of the respective regional hospitals. The result of the audit and inventory
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shall be the basis of the respective upgrade and modernization plan for each Regional
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Hospital.
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Section 5. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of
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this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations of the Department of
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Health.
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Section 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
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the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health, in coordination with other relevant
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government agencies, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement
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the provisions of this Act.
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Section 7. Repealing Clause. — All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
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proclamations, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are inconsistent with
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the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
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Section 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the
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application thereof to any person or circumstance. Is held unconstitutional or invalid,
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the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.
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Section 9. Effectivity Clause. —This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from
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Its publication In the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
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circulation.
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Approved,