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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, ERIC G. YAP, 
and EDVIC G. YAP 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act instills the continuing 
mandate to propose legislations that are consistent to the UHC’s agenda, one of which, 
is the institutionalization of an integrated patient navigation and referral system that 
shall provide coherent and seamless linkages among relevant health facilities and 
agencies throughout the country. 
No less than the Department of Health (DOH) has enunciated the importance of a 
service delivery network which will serve as a strategic mechanism for expanding 
access to and strengthening the continuum of care across the country. The 
establishment of a patient navigation and referral system, a type of service delivery 
network, will ensure a continuing provision of quality care through the combination 
of capacities of individual health service delivery points into a unified delivery 
system.  
Through this proposed measure, the recurrent issues resulting from three-tiered 
health care system and uncoordinated referral places will be facilitated through the 
measure’s established collective system, thereby mitigating the incidence of patient 
mortality. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
       ERIC G. YAP 
EDVIC G. YAP         
March 13, 2023
1:27 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, ERIC G. YAP, 
and EDVIC G. YAP 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL PATIENT NAVIGATION AND REFERRAL 
SYSTEM FOR THE PURPOSE OF STRENGTHENING THE PROVISION OF 
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM, 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 “National Patient 
Navigation and Referral System Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies. - It is the policy of the State to protect and 
promote the right to health of all Filipinos and instill health consciousness among 
them. It is likewise the policy of the State to improve the delivery of health care 
services to the people, and to ensure efficiency in the process of accessing quality 
health services and availing medical and financial assistance to fund health services. 
Towards this end, the State shall establish an integrated patient navigation and 
referral system that shall provide coherent and seamless linkages among relevant 
health facilities and agencies throughout the country. 
SEC. 3. Scope. - This Act applies to all public and private hospitals, infirmaries, 
and other health facilities such as primary care, custodial care, diagnostic/therapeutic, 
specialized out-patient, telehealth service providers, including appropriate national, 
regional, and local government agencies throughout the country. 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act, the following terms 
shall mean: 
a. Gatekeeping refers to the process by which primary care providers, acting as
the navigator, coordinator, and initial and continuing point of contact in the
health care delivery system, authorizes access to specialty care, hospital care,
and diagnostic tests;
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b. Health care refers to the maintenance or improvement of the health of
individuals or population through the prevention, diagnosis, treatment,
rehabilitation and chronic management or disease, illness, injury and other
physical and mental ailments or impairments of human beings;
c.
Health facilities refers to an institution that has health care as its core service,
function or business;
d. Patient navigation refers to directing and assisting an individual to obtain
health care services and overcome barriers for timely, cost-effective, and
appropriate medical care;
e. Referral mechanism refers to the process of coordination in which a health
worker at one level of the health system, having insufficient resources
(drugs, equipment, skills) to manage a clinical condition, seeks the
assistance of a better or differently resourced facility at the same or higher
level
to assist in, or take over the management of the patient;
f.
Telehealth refers to delivery of health care services, where patients and
providers are separated by distance using information and communication
technology.
SEC. 5. Establishment of a National Patient Navigation and Referral System. 
- There shall be established a National Patient Navigation and Referral System
(NPNRS) to support, strengthen, and facilitate the provision of health services of
primary care providers acting as the navigator, coordinator, and initial and continuing
point of contact in the health care delivery system pursuant to Republic Act No. 11223.
otherwise known as the “Universal Health Care Act”.
SEC. 6. Purposes. - The NPNRS shall have the following purposes: 
a. Support and strengthen the province-wide and city-wide health care
provider networks throughout the country;
b. Facilitate vertical and horizontal linkages and coordination among local
government units, hospitals, infirmaries, other health facilities, telehealth
service providers, local and national government agencies to maximize the
use of limited health resources and improve access to quality health services
for patients;
c.
Develop and maintain an inventory of existing health services and human
resources of both public and private health facilities that shall serve as a
guide in directing patients as well as a gatekeeper in ensuring rational and
efficient use of existing health resources;


 
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d. Interconnect and facilitate communication among hospitals, infirmaries, 
other health facilities, telehealth service providers, local and national 
government agencies to improve access to quality health services for 
patients; 
 
e. Develop and implement patient navigation services and referral 
mechanisms that shall assist patients to identify and reach the appropriate 
health facility and receive quality health service in a timely manner and 
consistent with the role of primary care providers in the health systems 
gatekeeping mechanism; 
 
f. Include patient navigation and referral services to Malasakit Centers and 
other government and non-government organizations that can provide 
financial health assistance to ensure full range of support services from 
identifying and reaching appropriate facility to ensuring financial health 
protection of patients; and 
 
g. Ensure patient privacy and confidentiality and that only those involved in 
patient’s care shall have access to his/her information in compliance with 
Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the “Data Privacy Act of 2012” 
 
SEC. 7. Establishment of a National Patient Navigation and Referral Center 
(NPNRC). - There shall be established a National Patient Navigation and Referral 
Center (NPNRC). The existing One Hospital Command Center shall be expanded to 
perform the functions of the NPNRC, which shall be created as a unit under 
Department of Health. 
 
SEC. 8. Functions and Responsibilities. - The NPNRC shall have the following 
powers and functions: 
 
a. Serve as the implementing arm of the NPNRS, which shall provide patient 
navigation assistance services, facilitate coordination and referral within or 
across health care provider networks, conduct data analytics to ensure 
efficient utilization of health services, and improve access to healthcare in 
alignment with the UHC Act; 
 
b. Access to health facility information, which may include, but are not limited 
to, current bed allocation and utilization, current Health Human Resources 
(HRH), and others as may be deemed necessary by the Secretary of Health; 
 
c. Link patients and health facilities to local government units (LGUs) 
ambulance and patient transport vehicle as necessary; 
 
d. Guide patients needing financial assistance to cover the cost of medical 
expenses beyond what is covered by the Philippine Health Insurance 
Corporation by referring them to the Malasakit Centers and other agencies 
with such mandate; 
 


 
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e. Work in close coordination with government and private hospitals, 
infirmaries, other health facilities, telehealth service providers, local and 
national government agencies; 
 
f. Provide oversight to Regional Patient Navigation and Referral Centers; and 
 
g. Coordinate with the Department of Information and Communication 
Technology (DICT) for connectivity support; and 
 
h. Call upon any government office or instrumentality, including 
government-owned or-controlled corporations, government financial 
institutions, LGUs, non-government organizations, and the private sector 
for assistance or as the circumstances may require. 
 
The NPNRC shall be provided a base of operations and the necessary resources, 
which shall include but are not limited to infrastructure, equipment, and human 
resources, to fulfill its functions subject to compliance with the usual government 
auditing and budget rules. It shall also house the Malasakit Program Office for close 
coordination. 
 
SEC. 9. Establishment of Regional Patient Navigation and Referral Centers 
(RPNRCs). - Regional Patient Navigation and Referral Centers (RPNRCs) shall be 
established in all administrative regions of the country. The existing Regional One 
Hospital Command Centers in each region and in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region 
of Muslim Mindanao shall be expanded to become the RPNRCs, which shall be lodged 
under the Center for Health Development (CHD) of the respective regions. 
 
SEC. 10. Functions and Responsibilities of the RPNRCs. - The RPNRCs shall 
have the following powers and functions: 
 
a. Serve as the implementing arm of the NPNRC at the regional level to 
improve access to healthcare in alignment with Universal Health Care; 
 
b. Perform the roles and function of the NPNRC as stipulated in Section 8 of 
this Act within their respective jurisdiction; and 
 
c. Work in close coordination with NPNRC and other RPNRCs for timely 
reporting and coordination of inter-regional referrals. 
 
The RPNRC shall be provided a base of operations and the necessary resources, 
which include but are not limited to infrastructure, equipment. and human resources. 
to fulfill its functions through the CHDs. 
 
SEC. 11. Organization. - The Secretary of Health shall determine the 
organizational structure and staffing modifications of the NPNRC and the RPNRCs 
subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in 
accordance with the existing civil service laws, rules, and regulations. 
 


 
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SEC. 12. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of Health shall, 
in consultation with the appropriate government and private agencies, issue the 
necessary implementing rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this 
Act within ninety days (90) from its effectivity. 
 
SEC. 14. Penal Provision. - Any person who, by means of fraudulent, false, 
hoax or imaginary pretenses or other similar deceits makes a call to NPNRC’s phone 
lines made solely to cause mischief or disrupt the performance of its public functions 
shall be punished by imprisonment ranging from one (1) month and one 1 day to six 
(6) months or a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) but not more 
than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) or both, at the discretion of the court. 
 
Any official, medical practitioner or employee of any health facility which 
refuses to accept a patient referred by NPNRC/RPNRC without a just and reasonable 
ground shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months and one (l) 
day but not more than two (2) years and four (4) months, or a fine of not less than 
Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00), but not more than One hundred thousand pesos 
(P100,000.00) or both, at the discretion of the court: Provided, however, That if such 
violation was committed pursuant to an established policy of the hospital or clinic or 
upon instruction of its management, the director or officer of such hospital or clinic 
responsible for the formulation and implementation of such policy shall, upon 
conviction by final judgment, suffer imprisonment of four (4) to six (6) years, or a fine 
of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), but not more than Five 
hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) or both, at the discretion of the court. 
 
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain 
in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, orders and 
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,