Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress

First Regular Session

House Bill No.12. 33.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JURDIN JESUS M. ROMUALDO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This is a refiled bill from last Congress and it seeks to establish a modern, resilient,
and responsive national blood services network through the institutionalization of
hospital-based blood centers and the creation of a centralized Philippine Blood
Center. This aims to ensure a sufficient, safe, and timely blood supply for patients in
need, especially during emergencies and critical care situations.

Blood is a life-saving resource. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues, supports
immunity, and enables proper organ function. However, it remains one of the most
overlooked medical necessities. Its importance is often only recognized in times of
crisis—during trauma, childbirth complications, surgical procedures, and natural
disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic, typhoons, and public health emergencies
revealed the vulnerability and fragmentation of our current blood supply system.

A recent example is the Makati Medical Center (MMC) being placed on “red alert’
status in June 2025 due to a low on blood supply and urgently needs donors to save
lives. Such alerts mean hospitals are unable to meet even the minimum
requirements for emergency transfusions. This is not an isolated case. Across the
country, hospitals continue to struggle with inadequate supply, delayed delivery, and
the lack of centralized tracking of blood availability.

While Republic Act No. 7719 or the “National Blood Services Act of 1994” laid the
groundwork for voluntary blood donation, there is now an urgent need to modernize
and strengthen its implementation by leveraging digital technology, enhancing
coordination, and institutionalizing a central governance mechanism.

Currently, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) operates over 100 blood service facilities
and is the largest source of donated blood in the country. It supplies a significant
portion of the national blood demand, especially for patients in the most vulnerable
sectors. The remaining demand is met by a patchwork of government and private
hospitals, independent blood service facilities, and national laboratories such as the
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the National Kidney and
Transplant Institute (NKTI).

To address these systemic gaps, this bill proposes the establishment of a National
Blood Information System (NBIS) under the Department of Health (DOH), which will
include:

+ Areal-time inventory of blood products,

+ Ageo-tagged national database of blood centers,

+ Avvoluntary donor registry, and

+ Adispatch and logistics platform for inter-hospital coordination.

1


To safeguard the integrity and security of this system, it shall be fully compliant with
Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012, and shall be managed by
trained personnel with secure digital infrastructure.

At the core of this reform is the creation of a Philippine Blood Center (PBC), to serve
as the principal repository and administrator of the national blood network. The PBC
shall be responsible for policy implementation, coordination, quality control, and
overall administration of blood services. Its operations and personnel requirements
shall be supported by annual appropriations under the DOH.

In partnership with the PRC and other blood service institutions, this bill envisions a
unified, tech-enabled system that will ensure no patient is denied life-saving blood
due to shortage, delay, or lack of coordination.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this if is earnestly sought.

JURDIN M. ROMUALDO


Semrvnoaeon

1"

13
14
15
16
17

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO._1233

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JURDIN JESUS M. ROMUALDO

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A PHILIPPINE BLOOD SERVICES NETWORK AND
PROMOTING SAFE AND ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF BLOOD IN ALL BLOOD
CENTERS NATIONWIDE

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. ~ This Act shall be known as the “Blood Services Network Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy

It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote the
right of patients to appropriate and non-discriminatory quality health and medical care in
all health care facilities within its competence, available manpower, and facility resources

especially during critical situations and emergencies.

‘The State shall adopt an integrated and relevant approach with the use of available
technology to improve health services and health management particularly in providing

adequate and safe essential health products and supplies to all patients at an affordable cost.

The Department of Health is mandated to spearhead and promote regular nationwide
voluntary blood donation drives to ensure the availability of blood stocks in all blood
centers nationwide and promote a blood registry system for easy reference in the

national blood services network. Towards this goal, the DOH may coordinate and


Soarnaoanran

1"

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
a
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
3
32

collaborate with the Philippine National Red Cross, various institutions and foundations to
generate awareness, participation and understanding of the voluntary blood donation

activities.

SEC. 3. Creation of the Philippine Blood Center (PBC). — A Philippine Blood Center
(PBC) shall be created under the Department of Health with office at the vicinity of the
Lung Center of the Philippines. It shall established a Philippine Blood Services Network
(PBSN), a digital portal as a repository of the blood registry of regular blood volunteers,
patients with blood availments in all health facilities nationwide and those availing blood

typing requirements.

The PBC shall coordinate with the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and all health
institutions to get its voluntary blood donors data and register it in the national registry and
ensure data integrity in compliance with the existing Data Privacy Act of 2012

otherwise known as Republic Act No. 10173.

It shall provide basic identification protocols which will be used as reference to contact
volunteers during voluntary blood donation campaigns in their area and when the need arises
during critical blood supply shortage and with the consent of the volunteers to donate

blood on these situations.

The PBC and all blood centers shall be allowed to collect reasonable fees for the
collection, processing and transport of blood based on the guidelines prescribed by the

Department of Health.

SEC 4, Organizational Structure of the Philippine Blood Cemer. — The Philippine Blood
Center shall be headed by an Executive Director with at least ten (10) years relevant

experience.

The PBC Executive Director shall sit as a regular member of the Philippine Blood

Coordinating Council


The staffing requirements for the functional, technical and operational requirements of the
Center shall be submitted by the Department of Health in accordance with the
Organization Structure and Staffing Pattern (OSSP) of the Department of Budget and

Management.

SEC. 5. Role and Authority of the Philippine Blood Center. ~ The Center shall handle the
following functions:

1.) Issuance of the Certificate of Inclusion in the blood services network;

2.) Approve the schedules of voluntary blood donation activities nationwide in

tion

partnership with the regional centers for health development and in coordi
with different health facilities and volunteer organizations:

3.) Consult and coordinate with local government units and various stakeholders in
recruitment and invitation of voluntary blood donors;

4.) Prepare the protocols for collection of blood, appropriate storage, distribution and
transport of blood in all health facilities including non-hospital based blood banks
and national reference laboratories;

5.) Conduct training and accreditation of health professionals for all blood bank
nationwide:

6.) Conduct appropriate clinical research, trials, and examination of _ blood
samples;

7.) Provide facility and equipment standards for all blood banks in the blood
services network including inspection for compliance purposes;

8.) Processing of whole blood into blood components including related activities;

9.) Extract and Collect blood from volunteers and patients with their consent as part of
the continuity plan to ensure ready supply of blood;

10.) Ensure the safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products to all health
facilities in accordance with the requirements of each facility based on the digital
portal registry data;

11.) Classify, accredit and establish regional blood centers and allow mobile blood
centers in highly urbanized areas;

12.) Promote mobile and health facility-based voluntary blood donation; and


13.) May perform such other functions consistent with the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 6. Regional Blood Centers. — Every regional DOH Center for Health Development
(CHD) including the BARMM shall have one blood center equip with adequate health
professional and staff with appropriate space and necessary equipment to manage and handle

the blood requirements of patients and collaborate with the various health stakeholders.

It shall provide the Philippine Blood Center with accurate data for its inventory of blood
stocks in their area of jurisdiction and provide alternate solutions for the easy and fast
dispatch of blood requirements to meet the demand of patients and health providers.
The budgetary requirements for the additional CHD personnel for their blood center will be
included in the annual regional budget of the DOH to effectively implement the
provisions of this Act.

SEC. 7. Provincial Blood Centers. ~ There should be a blood center established in every
Provincial Hospital. It shall provide the Philippine Blood Center with accurate data for its

inventory of blood stocks in their facility.

The budgetary requirements for the health care professional, essential manpower

requirements and the nec

sary equipment if needed, shall be included in the annual budget

of the respective provincial hospital.

The construction for the appropriate space for the blood center in the provincial hospital shall

be included in the annual DOH Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP).

SEC. 8. Tax Exemptions. ~ The PBC with clearance from the Department of Health shall be
allowed to import Blood Bank Equipment, blood bags, reagents, and such other related
supplies. It shall be exempted from all government taxes and duties when the importation
is made by the PBC for its facility use and for the use of all regional Center for Health
Development with a certification from the Department of Health duly submitted to the

Department of Finance and the Bureau of Customs.


The PBC shall be allowed to accept donations, grants, contributions, gifts and other kinds
of gratuitous acts in connection with its institutional mandate and all these gratuitous
acts shall be exempted from all national taxes. The donors of these donations, gifts
and gratuitous acts shall be allowed to deduct this from their gross income consistent
with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended and the
“Customs Modernization and Tariff Act” (CMTA), otherwise known as “Republic Act No.
1086.

SEC. 9. Appropriations. ~ The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act

shall be charged against the current budget of the Department of Health.

For the succeeding years, the amount necessary for the Philippine Blood Center shall be

included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 10. Trust Fund. — A separate trust fund shall be maintained by the PBC for cash
donations and can be utilized by the PBC upon submission to the Department of Health the

proposal for its utilization but shall not be used for Personal Services.

SEC. 11. Annual Report. ~ The PBC shall submit an annual report to the Department of
Health, the Office of the President, the Senate of the Philippines and the House of

Representatives on its performance and accomplishments.

SEC. 12. Transitory Provision, ~ The existing Philippine Blood Center shall be given a
period of three (3) months from the date of implementation of this law to wind down its

activities.

Pertinent equipment, supplies and existing facility will be transferred to the new PBC

supported with appropriate inventory.

All personnel of the Philippine Blood Center shall be transferred to the new PBC subject to
their qualification and availment of plantilla positions under the new PBC approved OSSP.


Those affected by this law shall be provided with the appropriate benefits provided

under existing laws.

The Department of Health shall appoint in transition the officers and staff of the new
PBC while complying with the OSSP for continuity of health services to the public.

SEC. 13. Implementing Guidelines. - The Department of Health shall draft the
implementing guidelines in consultation with various relevant stakeholders within thirty
days (30) from the approval of this Act.

SEC. 14. Separability Clause.

SEC. 15. Repealing Clause.

SEC. 16. Effectivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in

the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation,