FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
PI 
?, :1 , 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 13, Section 11 provides that: 
SEC. 11. The State shall adopt and 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. There shall be a priority for the needs of 
the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women and children. 
The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers. 
Health care has always been last among the priorities of many Filipino families. In many 
cases, a lot of our countrymen seek medical attention only if their condition is already at an 
advanced stage, which can no longer be controlled nor hidden. This is attributable several 
factors. First, the cost of prevention and treatment is prohibitive. Second, poverty has forced 
many families to choose between health care and basic necessities. Finally, many Filipinos are 
not health literate. It is often in these situations that many of our constituents approach the 
politicians for doles to address their health care expenses, which, in many instances, lead to 
patronage politics. 
Health literacy means an individual's ability to obtain, process, and understand basic 
health information and services needed to make appropriate health care decisions. This means 
knowing how to make use of available resources to pay for a person's medical expenses, such as 
government benefits and health benefits available to employees. This knowledge goes a long 
way into assisting our citizens on making sound and timely decision concerning the protection of 
their health. If we are able to do this, we will be able to encourage our citizens to avail of 
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preventive medicine instead of curative. Preventive medicine is less costly and gives the family 
less burden than curative. 
This bill seeks to establish within the Department of Health a Health Literacy 
Iniplementation Center to enhance efforts to help eliminate the problem of low health literacy by 
improving measurements, research, development, and information dissemination. 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
o I : r , ‘  
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO ENSURE THAT ALL FILIPINOS HAVE BASIC HEALTH LITERACY SKILLS TO 
FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY AS PATIENTS AND HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “National Health Literacy Act 
of 2008.” 
SECTION 2. Definitions. -The purposes of this Act the term - 
A. HEALTH LITERACY - means an individual’s ability lo obtain, process, and 
understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate 
health care decisions; 
B. CENTER - means the Health Literacy Implementation Center established under 
Section 3; and 
’ C. SECRETARY - means the Secretary of Health, unless otherwise indicated. 
SECTION 3. Health Literacy Implementation Center. - The Secretary shall establish 
within the Department a Health Literacy Implementation Center, to be headed by a Director to be 
appointed by the Secretary, to enhance efforts to help eliminate the problem of low health 
literacy by improving measurements, research, development, and information dissemination. 
SECTION 4. Duties. -The Center shall-- 
A. gather health literacy resources from public and private sources and make such 
resources available to researchers, health care providers, and the general public; 
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B. sponsor demonstration and evaluation projects to establish the feasibility and utility 
of health literacy interventions and tools in various settings; 
C. develop the next generation of health literacy interventions and tools, including 
curricula, measures, and health information decision support, with specific attention 
placed on elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities (including 
community colleges), and adult and vocational education programs and language 
barriers and cultural differences that contribute to low health literacy rates; 
D. identify and fill research gaps relating to health literacy that have direct applicability 
to quality improvement; 
E. assist appropriate government agencies in establishing specific objectives and 
strategies for carrying out the purpose of the Center and in monitoring the programs 
of such agencies; 
F. enter into implementation partnerships with organizations and agencies to promote 
the adoption of interventions and tools developed under this section; and 
G. enter into an interagency agreement with the Secretary of Education to facilitate the 
coordination of health literacy activities within the Department of Health and the 
Department of Education. 
SECTION 5. Public Meetings. - The Center shall convene at least one annual public 
meeting to help raise awareness about the problem of health literacy and government efforts to 
address the issue, The Center shall invite representatives from the Department of Health and the 
Department of Education, local government officials, private sector groups, and other interested 
parties involved in health literacy activities. 
SECTION 6. Report. - The Center shall annually submit to Congress a report that 
includes-- 
A. a comprehensive and detailed description of the operations, activities, financial 
condition, and accomplishments of the Center in the field of health literacy; and 
B. a description of how plans for the operation of the Center for the succeeding fiscal 
year will facilitate achievement of the goals of the Center. 
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SECTION 7. Health Literacy Resource Centers. - The Director of the Center shall award 
grants to local government units (LGUs) to provide for the establishment of a network of local 
health literacy resource centers to facilitate efforts to eliminate low health literacy. 
SECTION 8. Eligibility for Grunts. - To be eligible for a grant under Section 7, the LGU 
shall submit to the Director of the Center an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Director may require, including a description of how the LGU 
will'stmcture and provide services through the resource center established under the grant. 
SECTION 9. Functions of the Health Literacy Resource Centers. - The Health Literacy 
Resource Centers shall - 
A. support efforts to better understand the nature and scope of low health literacy among 
the LGU's population; 
B. assist public and private efforts in the LGU in coordinating and delivering health 
literacy services; 
C. encourage LGU and local government and industry partnerships to coordinate efforts 
to address low health literacy; 
D. provide technical and policy assistance to LGU and local governments and service 
providers; and 
E. monitor and evaluate programs conducted under this gant. 
SECTION 10. Meetings. - A LGU health literacy resource center shalt meet at least once 
each year to share models of best practices. A summary report with respect to such meeting shall 
be made available to the public to facilitate the dissemination of effective LGU-based practices 
SECTION 11. Report by Health Literacy Resource Centers. - Not later than September 
30, or each fiscal year for which a grant is received by a LGU under this section, the LGU shall 
submit to the Director of the Center a report that shall describe the programs supported by the 
grant and the results of monitoring and evaluation of those programs. 
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SECTION 12. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the initial implementation of 
this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Education under the 
current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full 
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a distinct and 
separate item. 
SECTION 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 14. Repealing Clai~se. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 15. EfSectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
/upmi00708 
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