• 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 610 
) 
) 
) 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
,. :) 7 
All children are entitled to the rights guaranteed by the laws of our country. 
Without distinction and discrimination, as Article XV, Section 3 (2) of the 
Constitution states: 
'The State shall defend the right of the children to assistance, including 
p(oper care and nutrition and special protection from all forms of neglect 
and abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their 
development." 
This is magnified by the provisions of Presidential Decree 603 or the Child 
Welfare Code, as amended, on the Rights of the Child, providing that: 
"Every child has the right to a balanced diet, adequate clothing, sufficient 
shelter, proper medical attention, and all the basic physical requirements 
of a healthy and vigorous life." (Art. 3 (4)). 
It is a major cause of concern despite all these safeguards, the rampant 
practice of certain hospitals' refusal to attend to the medical and dental needs of 
street children despite the immediacy and the urgency of such need due to the 
street children's inability to provide "deposits" is still practiced. 
We should put an end to such practice by providing for a law that would 
require both public and private hospitals and clinics to render free medical and 
dental services to indigent children, and penalizing those who will violate such 
requirement. This bill requires all medical institutions to extend health services to 
indigent children, which includes, but is not necessarily limited to, street children. 
Only through a concrete legislative measure can we fully realize the principles 
and policies sought to be effected by the various laws protecting the rights of the 
child. 
In line with the States evolving agenda on defending the rights of the child, 
the immediate passage of this bill is profoundly sought. 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 610 
) 
) 
) 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
-.. 
:J 7 
REQUIRING ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS, MEDICAL 
CENTERS, CLINICS, INFIRMARIES, AND PUERICUL TURE CENTERS TO 
GIVE FREE MEDICAL AND DENTAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIGENT CHILDREN 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. All government and private hospitals, medical centers, 
clinics, infirmaries or puericulture centers duly licensed to operate as such, are 
hereby required to render medical and dental services to indigent children, 
regardless of whether or not they are in danger of dying and/or may have 
suffered physical injuries requiring immediate medical attention. 
For purposes of this Act, an "indigent child" is an unemancipated child 
below eighteen (18) years of age who has health problems requiring medical and 
dental services for his care and treatment, taking into account the following 
factors: 
(a) the age of the child; 
(b) the financial condition of the family; 
(c) the degree of deprivation of parental care and support; and, 
(d) the inability of his parents to exercise parental authority. 
SEC. 2. The expenses and losses of earnings incurred by a private 
hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary, or puericulture center, or by an 
individual physician or dentist for medicine, facilities and services extended to the 
care and treatment of an indigent child as required herein in an amount not 
exceeding P300,OOO.OO per year, shall be deductible expenses and losses for 
income tax purposes which may be carried over for a period of five (5) years. 
SEC. 3. Any hospital director, administrator, officer-in-charge, phYSician or 
dentist in a hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary, or puericulture center who 
shall refuse or fail without good cause to render the appropriate medical or dental 
service pursuant to Section 1 of this Act, after this case has been brought to 
his/her attention, or any nurse, midwife, medical or dental attendant who shall 
refuse to extend the appropriate assistance, subject to existing rules, or neglects 
to notify or call the attention of a physician or dentist in attendance, shall be 
punished with imprisonment of at least one (1) year or a fine of not more than 
Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,OOO.OO), or both fine and imprisonment at the 
sound discretion of the Court. 


• 
In the case of government hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries, 
or puericulture centers, the imposition of the appropriate penalties upon the 
person or persons guilty of the violation of this Act shall be without prejudice to 
the administrative action that may be proper. 
In the case of private hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries, or 
puericulture centers, the license to operate shall be suspended or revoked. 
SEC 4. The Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the 
Department of Social Welfare and Development shall have the authority to 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying into 
effect the proVisions of this Act. 
SEC 5. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
, 
S,EC 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,