Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE ORTHOPEDIC CENTER, UPGRADING ITS SERVICE 
FACILITIES, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The enactment of Republic Act No. 6786 on 29 November 1989 renamed the National Orthopedic Hospital 
and Rehabilitation Medical Center to the currently recognized Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC). 
This bill seeks to modernize the services and equipment of the Philippine Orthopedic Center to continuously 
serve its purpose of being the center for trauma and orthopedics. It currently accommodates a 700-bed 
capacity being a tertiary special hospital functioning under the Department of Health (DOH) that needs to 
be boosted as the population that needs medical care within Metro Manila over the past decades hastily 
increased. Its location at Banawe Avenue corner Maria Clara, Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City caters to 
an enormous population of Metro Manila because of its strategic neighborhood. An upgrade is urgently 
wanted in this hospital to give priority to the unwell especially now that our nation is experiencing a 
worldwide health crisis. 
The 1987 Constitution is explicit in mandating that it is the responsibility of the State to “adopt an 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.1” 
This bill ought to set and make higher standards in our healthcare system by furnishing prevailing 
technologies and organizational modifications to make POC more receptive, accessible, and efficient in 
delivering medical and rehabilitative care to the general public with musculoskeletal disorders and other 
related conditions. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the Filipino 
people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
1 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XII, Section 11 on Health 
September 14, 2022
8:18 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE ORTHOPEDIC CENTER, UPGRADING ITS SERVICE 
FACILITIES, 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 Orthopedic Center Rehabilitation 
and Modernization Act”.  
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to modernize the health 
care delivery system to a level where it can fully and effectively perform its constitutional mandate to 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
Towards this end, the State shall undertake the modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), 
which is the country's only tertiary special hospital under the Department of Health tasked to provide quality 
orthopedic, rehabilitation, and other services relating .to musculoskeletal disorders and related conditions. 
SEC. 3. Objective. – There shall be developed a POC Modernization Plan which shall have the following 
objectives: 
a)
Undertake the repair and rehabilitation of the POC to be a premier specialty tertiary orthopedic
hospital, referral center, and training institute;
b)
Upgrade, modernize, acquire and procure state-of-the-art medical equipment, the latest model of
critical apparatus, and instruments, the renovation and modernization of its facilities, and the
application of the new technologies to improve the hospital's capabilities in providing timely and
reliable medical services for its patients; and
c)
Render quality health and medical care services to indigent patients by maintaining a seventy
percent (70%) allocation of beds for government-sponsored patients.
SEC. 4. POC Modernization Plan. – The POC Modernization Plan shall principally be a re-tooling of POC 
with modem equipment and facilities, including but not limited to, procurement of the latest and most up-
to-date medical instruments, tools, and apparatus; repair of major areas which need to be rehabilitated 
such as patient rooms and wards, operating rooms, lavatory areas, and comfortable rooms, and other 
physical facilities; and repair and repainting of POC buildings and its environment. 
SEC. 5. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Council. – To formulate and adopt the POC 
Modernization Plan, there is hereby created a POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Council composed of 
seven (7) members which shall be headed by the Secretary of Health as its Ex-Officio Chairman and the 
POC Medical Center Chief as Co-Chairman. Its members shall be composed of representatives of academic 
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and medical communities in the field of Orthopedic medicine and other stakeholders as may be determined 
by the Secretary of Health.  
 
SEC. 6. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Fund. – There is hereby created the Philippine 
Orthopedic Center (POC) - Rehabilitation and Modernization fund which shall be used exclusively to fund 
the modernization plan provided under this Act.  
 
The initial amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos (PhP500,000,000) to comprise the said fund shall be 
included in the General Appropriations Act of the year immediately following the approval of this Act.  
 
The total amount allocated herein shall be used exclusively for the rehabilitation and/or repair, renovation 
of POC, and the procurement of hospital materials, equipment, furniture, and fixtures under the program 
and guidelines as determined by the Council.  
 
SEC. 7. Rules and Regulations. – The DOH shall, within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, 
issue the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 8. Annual Report. – The Council shall submit to the Office of the President and Congress, through 
the House and Senate Committees on Health, an annual report on the outcome and progress of its activities.  
 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. – Should any provision or part of this Act be declared unconstitutional or 
invalid, the other provisions and parts thereof, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, shall 
remain in full force and effect.  
 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, issuances rules, and regulations or parts thereof 
which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette 
or at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,