Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City, Metro Manila
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3108

Introduced by: HONORABLE MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish the Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion Center (Blood
Center), which is envisioned to offer comprehensive care for patients with blood disorders,
and to provide transfusion services to the Filipino people.

The Blood Center is envisioned to provide capacity for safe blood and blood products,
augmenting the medical services provided by hospitals and partner agencies. It shall also be
the lead hospital in the training and teaching of medical and paramedical professionals
regarding blood disease and transfusion medicine.

Further, the Blood Center is also envisioned to provide the Filipino people with the
latest state-of -the-art in the diagnosis, management and treatment of hematologic disorders
and shall serve as a referral laboratory center for all hematologic diseases.

Republic Act No. (RA) 7719 or the National Blood Services Act of 1994 and the
consequent strengthening of voluntary blood services nationwide came on the heels of
unprecedented need for blood and blood products secondary to inevitable epidemiologic shift
towards rising incidence of dengue fever and its hemorrhagic forms, the increasing threat of
HIV and other blood borne infections. RA 7719 is aligned with the national goal of drastically
reducing maternal deaths through the assurance of adequate supply of blood.

This bill will complement RA 7719 as it aims to establish the Philippine Blood Disease
and Transfusion Center, a government corporate institution under the direct supervision of the
Department of Health for purposes of policy direction and control.

In view of the foregoing considerations, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Vie ee
MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO

Representative,
1® District, Marikina City


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

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 34 £g

Introduced by: HONORABLE MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO.

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE BLOOD DISEASE AND TRANSFUSION CENTER,
DEFINING ITS OBJECTIVES, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING.
FUNDS THEREFOR

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

Section 1. Short Title.- This Act shall be known as the “ Philippine Blood Disease and
Transfusion Center Act.”

Section 2. Definition of Terms — As used in this Act:

a. Apheresis Facility — refers to a blood service facility where blood collection procedure
is done in which whole blood is removed, a selected component separated and the
remainder returned to the donor.

b. Blood — refers to the human blood for transfusion

c. Blood Center — refers to the Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion Center
established pursuant to this Act.

d. Blood component - refers, but not limited, to whole blood, red cells, granulocytes,
plasma, platelets, cryoprecipitate and cryosupernate prepared in the Blood Center.

e. Blood Disease — refers to a blood condition that involves problems with the red blood
cells, white blood cells, platelets, blood vessels, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, or the
proteins involved in bleeding and clotting and (hemostasis and thrombosis). Blood
disease and blood disorders are used interchangeably in this Act.

f. Blood Product — refers to a therapeutic substance derived from whole blood or plasma.

g. Blood Transfusion — refers to the process of transferring blood or blood-based products
from one person into the circulatory system of another.

h. Hematology — refers to the branch of medicine that is concerned with the study of blood,
the  blood-forming organs and blood diseases.

i, Voluntary Blood Donor — refers to a donor who gives blood freely and voluntarily
without any form of payment.

Section 3. Mandate — There is hereby established a Philippine Blood Disease and
Blood Transfusion Center, hereinafter referred to as the Blood Center, a government
corporate entity that will offer comprehensive care for patients with the blood diseases,
including blood tranfusion services, for public welfare. The Blood Center shall also undertake
teaching programs and research activities to successfully accomplish its mandate.

The Blood Center shall be located at the Lung Center of the Philippine (LCP)
Compound, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

Section 4. Purposes and Objectives - The Blood Center shall have the following
purposes and objectives:


a. To construct , establish, operate and maintain a specialty hospital, with at least two
hundred fifty (250) bed capacity, which shall offer comprehensive care for patients with blood
diseases;

b. To establish and operate a blood tranfusion center and a state-of-the-art hematology
laboratory ( which should be able to offer more services than a regular medical center),
including a molecular laboratory for public welfare:

c. To establish and operate a Hematopoiectic Stem Cell transplant program and donor
registry;

d. To collect blood from qualified voluntary blood donors, and process whole blood into
blood components;

e. To ensure the safety, as well as the adequate supply, of blood and blood products
delivered to hospitals and other health facilities;

f. To promote, encourage and engage in medical and scientific research on the
prevention and treatment and treatment of blood diseases, on the care and/or treatment of
patients with blood diseases, and on the proper operation of blood bank technology and
blood transfusion services to ensure the safety of both blood donors and donees;

g. To gather, compile and publish the findings of its medical and scientific researches;

h. To conduct studies and develop teaching programs, in collaboration with universities,
hospitals and/or research institutions, on the prevention and treatment of blood diseases;

i. To encourage and grant scholarships for advanced training and specialization in
hematology; and support educational programs of value to general public health;

|. To finance, sponsor, hold or participate in congresses, conventions, conferences,
seminars, workshops and training programs on the prevention and treatment of blood
diseases; and

j. To encourage and assists in the education and training of physicians, nurses, health
officers, social workers and medical and technical personnel in the practical and scientific
implementation of services to patients with blood diseases.

Section 5. Powers and Functions — The Blood Center shall have the following powers
and functions:

a. To have the attribute of perpetual succession and shall be vested with the powers of
a corporation;

b. To adopt and use a corporate seal which shall be a matter of judicial notice;

c. To enter into contracts with any person or entity, whether public or private, domestic
or foreign;

d. To acquire assets, real or personal, or any interest therein, and encumber or
otherwise dispose _ the same, under any mode of encumbrance or conveyance, as it may
deem proper and necessary in the conduct of its business;

e. To invest its excess funds, subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, in any
activity related to the Blood Center, as well as in bonds or securities issued and guaranteed
by the Government of the Philippines;

f. To collect reasonable fees from the public for its services;

g. To solicit and accept any gifts, contributions, endowments, grants, bequests and
devices of any kind of real or personal property which are necessary and proper for the
attainment of the purpose of the hospital; and

h. To perform such acts and exercise such functions as may be necessary and proper
for the attainment of the purposes and objectives herein specified.

Section 6. Board of Trustees — The affairs and business of the Blood Center shall be
directed; its properties managed; and its corporate powers exercised, unless otherwise
provided in this Charter, by its own Board of Trustees, which shall be composed of seven (7)
members, as follows:

a.The Secretary of the Department of Health as Chairman of the Board, orhis duly
authorized representative:

b. The Department of Health Undersecretary in charge of supervising specialty
hospitals;


c. One (1) member from the private sector, preferably with experience in finance,
administration or management;

d. One (1) representative who is an expert in hematology;

. One (1) representative who is an expert in blood transfusion;

f, One (1) representative from NGO involved in health advocacy; and

g. The Blood Center Executive Director.

The terms of office, manner of appointment of the trustees and other matters pertaining
to the governance of the Blood Center shall be determined in accordance with the pertinent
provisions of RA 10149.

Section 7. Powers and Functions of the Board. The Board of Trustees, which shall
be the policy-making body of the Blood Center, shall have the following powers and functions:

a. Set the policies and direction to the Blood Center in order to accomplish its mandate;

b. Adopt a set of by-laws, rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures consistent with
law and the provisions hereof to govern the administration and operation of the Blood Center;

c. Establishing the organizational structure of the Blood Center, define the duties and
responsibilities of its officials and employees, and adopt a compensation and benefit scheme,
subject to the pertinent provisions of RA 10149, or known as the GOCC Governance Act of
2011;

d. Establish and maintain professional and technical educational systems for the
sustained development of the necessary manpower to manage and operate its affairs and
business;

e. Authorize the expenditures of the Blood Center as may be necessary or proper for
its efficient and effective management, operation and administration;

f. Send the personnel of the Blood Center to research institutes, medical, institutes or
universities for advance training or observation and to attend international or regional
conventions, conferences, congresses or seminars as the Board of Trustees may deem
necessary to accomplish the purposes and objectives of the Blood Center;

g. Enter into such agreements and arrangements with other medical or similar
institutions, domestic or foreign, as it may deem desirable toward promoting the purposes and
objectives of the Blood Center;

h. Appoint, remove, suspend or otherwise discipline the Executive Director and other
officers of the Blood Center occupying executive and senior management positions; and

i. Undertake such other acts and things as are or may be necessary for or incidental to
the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Blood Center.

Section 8. Executive Director of the Blood Center. - The Blood Center shall be
headed by the Executive Director, whose rank and emoluments shall be approved by the
Board, taking into account the prevailing practice in other specialty hospitals, and subject to
the pertinent guidelines issued by the Governance Commission for GOCCs. The Executive
Director shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

a. Direct and supervise the operatons and administration of the Blood Center;

b. Execute, administer and implement the policies and measures approved by the
Board;

c. Prepare th agenda for the meetings of the board, and to submit for consideration of
the board such policies and measures as he/she believe(s) necessary to carry out the
purposes and objectives of this Act;

d. Represent the Blood Center in all dealings, ie. meetings, contracts, negotiations,
etc., with all the other offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the government and
with all persons and other entities, domestic or foreign;

e. Appoint, remove, suspend or otherwise discipline all other officers and employees of
the Blood Center; and

f. To exercise such other powers and perform such other duties provided in the by-laws
and as vested to him by the Board.


Section 9. Program for Indigents. - The Blood Center shall adopt and enforce a
program for indigents needing blood and blood products, as well as to indigent patients with
blood diseases, in accordance with the implementing guidelines on classification of patients
and on Availment of Medical Social Services in Government Hospitals. The Department of
Health shall ensure that this program for indigents is effectively implemented.

Section 10. Income Retention. - The Blood Center is hereby authorized to retain and
utilize its income derived from its operation for the continuous improvement of its services and
facilities, subject to auditing rules and regulations. No amount from such income, however
shall be used to augment the salaries and other compensation of the Blood Center personnel
beyond the amounts determined by the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and
Controlled Corporations (GCG), as provided for in RA 10149.

Section 11. Exemption from Taxes. - The Blood Center shall be exempt from the
payment of taxes on all contribution thereto and all accruals on its income and investment
earnings.

‘Any donation, contribution, bequest, subsidy or financial aid which may be made it
shall constitute allowable deduction from the income of the donor for income tax purposes
and shall exempt from donor's tax subject to such conditions as provided in the National
Internal Revenue Code.

The Blood Center shall be exempt from all other taxes, whether direct or indirect, on its
income, properties and operations.

Section 12. Supervision. - The Blood Center shall be under the direct supervision of
the Department of Health for purposes of policy direction and control. It shall submit an
annual report to the Department of Health, pursuant to the pertinent provisions of RA 10149.

Section 13. Assistance from other Government Offices. - The Blood Center may call
upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the government, including
government-owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as it may need in the
pursuit of its purposes and objectives.

Section 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of Health shall
issue the necessary Rules and Regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within sixty
(60) days from its effectivity

Section 15. Appropriations. - The amount of Eight Hundred Fifty Million Pesos (Php
850,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial operation and maintenance of the Blood
Center. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the continued operation of the Blood
Center shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sections 16. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be held
unconstitutional, all its other provisions, when able to stand by itself, shall not be affected.

Section 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, acts, executive orders, administrative orders,
rules and regulations inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed, amended or modified
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.