Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
INTEGRATING PALLIATIVE AND HOSPICE CARE INTO 
THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The World Health Organization estimates about 40 million people 
worldwide that need palliative and hospice care yearly. In the Philippines, the 
Department of Health declares the annual rise in the number of patients in 
need for end-of-life palliative care services.  
Palliative care is a healthcare approach that allows support for patients 
and their families who are facing life-threatening illness. Early delivery of 
palliative care reduces hospital admissions and 
thereby 
use 
of 
health 
services. Although there are over a hundred hospice and palliative care 
services in the country, there is still a fragmented effort of various 
stakeholders in the implementation of palliative care.  
This bill therefore seeks to address these challenges through the 
integration of palliative and hospice care into the country’s health care 
system. Furthermore, it seeks to preserve human dignity and improve the 
quality of a patient’s last day of life by providing high -quality healthcare 
services. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
REP. PM VARGAS   
Fifth District, Quezon City 
August 1, 2022
8:15 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
INTEGRATING PALLIATIVE AND HOSPICE CARE INTO 
THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 
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 “Palliative 
and Hospice Care Act.” 
SECTION. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State guarantees the right 
of the people to quality health care; ensuring that the health status of 
the people is to be made as good as possible over the entire life cycle. As 
the Constitution mandates, an integrated and comprehensive approach 
to health development shall endeavor to make essential goods, health 
and other social service available to all people at affordable cost even to 
patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses. 
SECTION. 3. Palliative and Hospice Care Defined. – As used in this 
Act, palliative and hospice care refers to an approach that improves the 
quality of life of patients with life-threatening, complex, and chronic 
illnesses or those experiencing progressively debilitating diseases 
beyond any benefit from curative or definitive treatment, regardless of 
life expectancy. The approach covers the prevention and relief of 
suffering by means of early identification, assessment, and management 
of pain and symptoms. 
SECTION. 4. Accreditation. – Hospitals, private hospice institutions, 
medical practitioners, health workers, and social workers for palliative 
and hospice care shall be accredited by the Department of Health (DOH). 
The DOH, in partnership with the National Palliative and Hospice Care 
Council of the Philippines (Hospice Philippines, Inc.) shall formulate the 
rules and guidelines for accreditation to ensure a standard quality of 
palliative care services.  
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SECTION. 5. Quality Assurance – Key elements necessary to ensure 
quality palliative care services in accredited hospitals and hospices 
include the following: 
a. Adequate number of multi-specialty personnel; 
b. Assured financing for health and custodial services; 
c. Clear and practical standards for facilities and services; 
d. Appropriately designed and equipped facilities; and 
e. Regular and systematic supervision and reporting to the DOH. 
 
SECTION. 6. Mandatory Palliative and Hospice Service. – All 
government and private hospitals shall provide palliative and hospice 
care services to patients with life-threatening illnesses. 
 
Hospitals are required to link with a referral and aftercare network 
that is organized and made functional by all provincial, city and 
municipal governments under the guidance and monitoring of the DOH. 
 
Rural health units, health centers, and health offices are required 
to develop home-based or near home palliative care program in 
coordination with government-owned and privately-owned hospices in 
the local government units. 
 
SECTION. 7. Leave Benefits. – Immediate family members of relatives 
who are employed, whether in the public or private sectors, and are 
assigned by the family to provide palliative and hospice care to a 
critically-ill relative shall be allowed to use all existing leave benefits 
granted by their employers, subject to the guidelines on the use of said 
leave benefits. 
 
The DOH, in coordination with the Civil Service Commission, the Social 
Security System, the Government Service Insurance System, and the 
Department of Labor and Employment, shall be tasked to formulate the 
necessary guidelines in the implementation of Section 7 of this Act. 
 
SECTION. 8. Education and Training of Health Care Professionals 
and Volunteers. – The DOH, in partnership with the National Hospice 
and Palliative Care Council of the Philippines and other accredited 
members, shall develop the education and training modules for health 
care professionals and workers. 
 
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall integrate courses 
on the principles and practice of Palliative Care and Hospice Care into 
the curriculum of Medicine and Nursing, as well as in all paramedical 
and allied health courses. 
 
SECTION. 9. Continuing Research. – The DOH, in coordination with 
the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the 
Department of Science and Technology, shall ensure a continuing 


 
 
research and collection of data on palliative and hospice care and 
availability of funds for this purpose. 
 
SECTION. 10. Implementing Agency. – The DOH – Office for Technical 
Services, in coordination with other offices of the Department, is hereby 
mandated to perform the following functions: 
 
a. Promote palliative care in the Philippine through advocacy and 
social marketing; 
b. Formulate policies and develop standards on quality palliative 
and hospice care; 
c. Monitor the enforcement of standards and implementation of 
the program on palliative and hospice are; 
d. Mobilize and generate resources for sustainability of operation; 
e. Network with international hospice associations; 
f. Coordinate research undertakings with other institutions and 
agencies; 
g. Serve as repository of database for policy-making and 
maintenance of palliative care registry; 
h. Organize and develop continuing training programs for 
physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and other professional 
health workers and volunteer workers in the field of palliative 
care; 
i. Serve as the coordinating center of a national palliative care 
network located in the different regions of the country; and 
j. Establish a Code of Ethics and standards in the practice of 
palliative health care. 
 
SECTION. 11. PhilHealth Benefit Package. – Pursuant to this Act, 
the PhilHealth shall increase its present benefit package to include in-
patient palliative services, outpatient hospice care, and home-based 
palliative care. 
 
SECTION. 12. Funding Support. – All non-profit, DOH accredited 
palliative and hospice care institutions which are serving indigent 
patients shall qualify as institutional beneficiaries under the Philippine 
Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Institutional Financial Assistance 
Program: Provided, That the hospice care institutions comply with the 
documentary and other requirements of the said Program. 
 
SECTION. 13. Tax Exemptions. – Any donation or bequest made to 
the DOH that is intended for palliative and hospice care shall be exempt 
from the donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable 
deduction from the gross income of the donor, in accordance with the 
provision of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended: 
Provided, That such donations shall be disposed of, transferred or sold. 
 
SECTION. 14. Appropriations. – The initial amount necessary to 
implement the provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current 
year’s appropriation of the Department of Health. Thereafter, such sums 


 
 
as maybe necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall 
be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty 
(60) days from the approval of this Act, the Secretary of Health, after 
consultation with the National Palliative and Hospice Care Council of 
the Philippines (Hospice Philippines, Inc.) shall promulgate the rules 
and regulations implementing the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION. 16. Separability Clause. – In case any provision of this Act 
is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof 
which are not affected thereby shall continue in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION. 17. Repealing Clause. – All laws, executive orders, rules 
and regulations, or any part thereof inconsistent herewith are deemed 
repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
 
SECTION. 18. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved,