Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT  
ESTABLISHING THE ONE PATIENT-ONE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM IN 
THE PHILIPPINES THEREBY CREATING THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL 
COORDINATOR FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES  
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The State must provide quality health services to the people. To this end, the Constitution 
provides that the State adopts an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development 
which should make essential goods, health services, and other social services more accessible to 
people.  
This measure seeks to upgrade the current health system and adopt a competent, reliable, and 
efficient centralized nationwide health information technology system. The measure will 
institutionalize a one-patient-one electronic medical record system that would provide each 
patient in the Philippines with a single electronic medical file (which shall be made accessible at 
any health care institution in the Philippines) containing the history of one’s medical condition 
and treatments undergone. This removes the repetitive procedure of detailing your medical 
history every time you visit a different hospital. As the detailing of medical history to another 
health institution only relies on the patient’s or the patient’s company’s memories, there is an 
increased likelihood of errors in diagnosis due to inaccurate patient information. The inexistence 
of readily available medical records in an institution also forces health professionals to conduct 
additional tests to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis which leads to more expenses for patients. 
The one patient-one medical record system ensures that patient information is accurate and 
extensive, consequently allowing any health institution to provide more efficient medical services 
to any person.  
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. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
September 14, 2022
8:18 am
4795


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT  
ESTABLISHING THE ONE PATIENT-ONE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM IN 
THE PHILIPPINES THEREBY CREATING THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL 
COORDINATOR FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy.  It is hereby declared the policy of the State to establish a 
competent, reliable, efficient, integrated, and centralized nationwide health information 
technology system that allows for the electronic use of patient health record system, that can be 
accessible to the patient and his/her healthcare professional as needed anywhere in the country. 
This system shall ensure the following: 
1. Accurate and appropriate information to help guide medical decisions at the time and
place of care is provided;
2. Early detection, prevention, and management of chronic diseases are promoted;
3. Health care quality is improved, and patient-centered medical care is advanced by
reducing medical errors and medical disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of patients;
4. Health care cost resulting from inefficiency, medical errors, and inappropriate and
duplicative care is reduced;
5. Coordination of care and information among hospitals, laboratories, physician offices, and
other entities is improved through an effective infrastructure for the secure and authorized
exchange of health care information;
6. Patient's health information is secured and protected, and by applicable law;
7. Public health activities are improved and early identification and rapid response to public
health threats and emergencies are facilitated;
8. Health and clinical research and health care quality are facilitated;
9. Fraud in the use of government social insurance systems such as the PhilHealth, SSS, and
GSIS is averted.
SEC. 2. Institutionalization of the One Patient- One Electronic Medical Record System. 
There shall be established in the Philippines the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record 
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System, which is a centralized electronic patient health record system to be managed by the 
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology of the Department of Health.  
 
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology in coordination with the Department 
of Information and Communications Technology (''DICT'') shall make and implement such 
programs as may be necessary to enable the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System 
to available in the entire country, even in remote areas with limited access to internet services.  
 
All health care providers and healthcare professionals keeping medical records of their patients 
shall migrate to electronic/digital format copies of such records and integrate the same into the 
system provided for by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology. The National 
Coordinator shall issue IT Certifications to health care providers and healthcare professionals for 
their compliance to the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System of the Office of the 
National Coordinator for Health Technology. Issuance of the IT Certification by the National 
Coordinator shall mean that the electronic patient record system of the health care providers and 
health care professionals are compatible and are integrated into the One Patient-One Electronic 
Medical Record System. 
 
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology shall in partnership with the 
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (''PhilHealth''), Social Security System (''SSS''), and 
Government Service Insurance System (''GSIS'') make available to PhilHealth, SSS and GSIS such 
information as may be necessary to verify claims for benefits before it, by the Data Privacy Act.  
 
All persons filing their respective claims with PhilHealth, SSS, and GSIS consent to the use of the 
data contained in the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System about them for 
verification purposes upon the filing of their application for such claims/benefits.  
 
SEC. 3. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. There 
shall be created within the Department of Health, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology headed by a National Coordinator who shall be appointed by the 
Secretary of Health and shall report directly to the Secretary.  
 
The National Coordinator shall be a Filipino Citizen and shall be of known competence, probity, 
integrity, and recognized expertise in information systems, management, medicine, or the law. 
He shall be a career official who passed the merit and fitness test of the Civil Service Commission. 
The National Coordinator shall perform the following: 
 
1. Coordinate health information policy and programs of the Department of Health with those 
of other relevant agencies of the government to avoid duplication of efforts and of helping 
to ensure that each agency undertakes health information activities primarily within the 
areas of its greatest expertise and technical capability and in a manner towards a 
coordinated national goal. 
2. Become the leading member in the establishment and operations of the Health 
Information Technology Policy and Standards Committee C'HIT Policy and Standards 
Committee); 
3. Prepare the National Health IT Strategic Plan in consultation with the appropriate national 
agencies and various stakeholders; 


4. Maintain and frequently update an Internet website on which there is posted information 
on the work, schedules, reports, recommendations, updates on the implementation of the 
National Health IT Strategic Plan, issued Certifications, and other information to ensure 
transparency in the promotion of a nationwide health information technology 
infrastructure; 
5. Establish a governance mechanism for the national health information network; 
6. Establish a program for voluntary certification of health information technology as 
complying with the applicable certification criteria issued by the Office of the National 
Coordinator for Health Technology of the Department of Health. 
 
SEC. 4. National Health IT Strategic Plan. The National Coordinator shall after due 
consultation and in collaboration with appropriate government agencies and private sector 
stakeholders formulate the National Health IT Strategic Plan. The National Strategic Plan shall 
identify specific objectives, milestones, and metrics and provide measurable outcome goals in the 
implementation of the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System. Specifically, the 
National Health IT Strategic Plan shall provide the following: 
 
1. Full implementation and utilization of electronic health records for each patient in the 
Philippines in 2030; 
2. Electronic exchange and use of health information integration of healthcare providers and 
professionals of such information; 
3. Incorporation of privacy and security protections for the electronic exchange of individual's 
individually identifiable health information; 
4. Provision of security methods to ensure appropriate authorization and electronic 
authentication of health information; 
5. Methods to foster the public understanding of health information technology; 
6. Specification of the framework for coordination and flow of recommendations and policies 
among the Secretary, the National Coordinator, the HIT Information Technology Policy 
and Standards Committee, and other health information exchanges and other relevant 
entities; 
7. Strategies to enhance the use of health information technology in improving the quality 
of health care, reducing medical errors, reducing health disparities, improving public 
health, increasing prevention and coordination with community resources, and improving 
the continuity of care; 
8. Specific plans for ensuring that populations with unique needs, such as children, are 
appropriately addressed in the technology design, as appropriate, which may include 
technology that automates enrollment and retention for eligible individuals. 
 
SEC. 5. Certifications. The National Coordinator, in consultation with the DICT, shall provide 
certification criteria and a program for voluntary certification of health information technology as 
complying with applicable certification criteria adopted by the National Coordinator by the National 
Health IT Strategic Plan. Certification Criteria means the criteria or standards and implementation 
specifications for health information technology to establish that the technology meets such 
standards and implementation specifications. 
 
Issuance of the Certification by the National Coordinator means compliance under this Section. 
 


SEC. 6. Health Information Technology Policy and Standards Committee. There shall be 
created the Health Information Technology Policy and SEC. 6. Health Information Technology 
Policy and Standards Committee. There shall create the Health Information Technology Policy 
and recommendations to the National Coordinator relating to the implementation of the One 
Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System including the implementation and updating of the 
National Health IT Strategic Plan. The HIT Policy and Standards Committee shall also recommend 
to the National Coordinator standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for 
the electronic exchange and use of health information by the National Health IT Strategic Plan.  
 
The HIT Policy and Standards Committee is composed of fifteen (15) members, as follows: 
 
1) 3 members representing patients and consumers;  
2) 2 members representing health care providers and professionals;  
3) 1 member who has expertise in health information privacy and security;  
4) 1 member who has expertise in improving the health of vulnerable populations;  
5) 2 members who have expertise in information systems management from the private 
sector;  
6) 1 member shall be from the research community;  
7) 1 member shall represent health plans, insurance, or other third-party players;  
8) 1 member shall represent information technology vendors;  
9) 2 members shall be experts on information technology from the DICT;  
10) 1 member shall have expertise in health care quality measurement and reporting.  
 
Members of the HIT Policy and Standards Committee shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
Health and shall serve for a period of six (6) years. They shall be entitled to such honorarium as 
the Secretary of Health may provide, and as approved by the Department of Budget and 
Management.  
 
A majority of the member of the HIT Policy and Standards. The committee shall constitute a 
quorum for purposes of voting, but a lesser number of members may meet and hold meetings. 
 
SEC. 7. Linkages with Social Insurance. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology shall make available to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the 
Social Security System, and the Government Service Insurance System, without cost, such data 
as may be necessary for the validation of member claims made with said agencies. 
 
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology may, subject to the 
consent of the patient, enter into agreements with private health and life insurance companies 
for the sharing of medical information. 
 
SEC. 8. Certification Mandatory for PhilHealth Claims for Reimbursement. PhilHealth 
and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology shall endeavor to provide 
healthcare professionals and Healthcare institutions access to the One Patient-One Electronic 
Medical Record System. 
 
Access by PhilHealth to patient medical records under the One Patient-One Electronic Medical 
Record System is a mandatory requirement before payment of PhilHealth claims for 
reimbursements of such patients. 


 
PhilHealth and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology shall 
provide for such rules as may be followed, that will allow reimbursements in cases where access 
to One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System is not possible due to lack of internet access 
in the area. 
 
SEC. 9. Linkages to Research. The Department of Health shall utilize the information derived 
from the data collected by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology for research and in the improvement of programs for the improvement of the health 
of the people. 
 
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation shall make use of the data collected by the Office of 
the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the development of its case rate 
system. 
 
SEC. 10. Appropriations. An initial amount of 50 Million Pesos (Php 50,000,000.00) is hereby 
appropriated under the Department of Health for the implementation of this Act. Thereafter, such 
amounts as may be necessary for the continued operation of the system shall be continuously 
appropriated in the budget of the Department of Health. 
 
SEC. 11. Separability Clause. The provisions of this Act are hereby declared to be separable, 
and in the event, that any one or more of such provisions are held unconstitutional, they shall 
not affect the validity of other provisions. 
 
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive and administrative orders, or parts thereof, 
inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 13. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after Its publication In the 
Official Gazette or any newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,