Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Congress of the Philippines 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. ---
Introduced by Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE BLOOD DISEASE CENTER, DEFINING ITS OBJECTIVES, POWERS 
AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
According to the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) there are 
three common blood diseases in the country; namely, Anemia, Hemophilia, and Leukemia.1 
Anemia is the most common blood disorder and it is a condition in which the body lacks 
healthy red blood cells, called hemoglobin, that carry oxygen throughout the body. 
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder in which the blood cannot clot properly. Leukemia, on the 
other hand, is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. 
Blood diseases continue to have a significant impact on the lives of Filipinos. The combined 
impact of three major blood-related diseases of Leukemia, Anemia and Bleeding disorders is 
immense, representing a significant portion of the total deaths due to cancer.2 
Hence, this bill aims to establish and operate: a specialty hospital, with at least two hundred 
fifty (250) bed capacity, which shall offer comprehensive care for patients with blood diseases; 
a blood transfusion center and a state-of-the-art hematology laboratory; and a Hematopoietic 
Stem Cell transplant program and donor registry. In addition, the Philippine Blood Disease 
Center shall also undertake teaching programs and research activities to accomplish its 
mandate. 
REP. 
2nd District, Caloocan City 
1 S facts you need to know on Hemophilia I Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (dost.gov.phi 
2 Proclamation No. 1833, July 6, 2009 
May 7, 2024
11:15 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Congress of the Philippines 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. ---
Introduced by Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE BLOOD DISEASE 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 Center Act." 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the right 
to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Towards this end, the 
State shall establish a Philippine Blood Disease Center which shall offer comprehensive care 
for patients with blood diseases. 
Section 3. 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. Hematology Center - refers to the Philippine Blood Disease Center established pursuant to 
this Act. 
d. Blood Component - refers, but is not limited, to whole blood, red cells, granulocytes, 
plasma, platelets, cryoprecipitate, and cryosupernate prepared in the Hematology 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 (hemostasis and thrombosis). Blood diseases 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. 
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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 4. Philippine Blood Disease Center. - There is hereby established a Philippine Blood 
Disease Center, hereinafter referred to as the Philippine Hematology Center, a government 
corporate entity that will offer comprehensive care for patients with blood diseases, including 
blood transfusion services, for public welfare. The Hematology Center shall also undertake 
teaching programs and research activities to successfully accomplish its mandate. The 
Hematology Center shall be located at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in the City of 
Manila. 
Section 5. Purposes and Objectives - The Hematology 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 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 Hematopoietic 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 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 research; 
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; 
encourage and grant scholarships for advanced training and specialization in hematology; and 
support educational programs of value to general public health; 
i. 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 assist 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 6. Powers and Functions. - The Hematology 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 any 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 7. Board of Trustees. - The affairs and business of the Hematology 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, or his 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; 
e. One (1) representative who is an expert in blood transfusion; 
f. One (1) representative from an NGO involved in health advocacy; and 
g. The Hematology Center Executive Director. 


The terms of office, maimer 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 Republic Act No. 10149 or the GOCC Governance Act of 2011. 
Section 8. Powers and Functions of the Board. - The Board of Trustees, which shall be the 
policy-making body of the Hematology Center, shall have the following powers and functions: 
a. Set the policies and directions of the Hematology 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. Establish the organizational structure of the Hematology Center, define the duties and 
responsibilities of its officials and employees, and adopt a compensation and benefit scheme, 
subject to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 10149 or 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 Hematology Center as may be necessary or proper for 
its efficient and effective management, operation, and administration; 
f. Send the personnel of the Hematology 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 Hematology 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 Hematology Center; 
h. Appoint, remove, suspend, or otherwise discipline the Executive Director and other officers 
of the Hematology 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 Hematology Center. 
Section 9. Executive Director of the Hematology Center. - The Hematology 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 operations and administration of the Hematology Center; 
b. Execute, administer, and implement the policies and measures approved by the Board; 


L 
c. Prepare the agenda for the meetings of the Board, and submit for consideration of the 
Board such policies and measures as he/she believes necessary to carry out the purposes and 
objectives of this Act; 
d. Represent the Hematology Center in all dealings, i.e. meetings, contracts, negotiations, 
etc., with all 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 
Hematology Center; and 
f. To exercise such other powers and perform such other duties provided in the by-laws and 
as vested to him/her by the Board. 
Section 10. Program for Indigents. - The Hematology Center shall adopt and enforce a 
program for indigents needing blood or blood products, as well as for indigent patients with 
blood diseases, in accordance with the implementing guidelines on the classification of 
patients and availment of Medical Social Services in Government Hospitals. The Department 
of Health shall ensure that this program for indigents is effectively implemented. 
Section 11. Income Retention. - The Hematology Center is hereby authorized to retain and 
utilize its income derived from its operations 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 Hematology 
Center personnel beyond the amounts determined by the Governance Commission for 
Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GCG), as provided for in Republic Act No. 
10149. 
Section 12. Exemption from Taxes. - The Hematology Center shall be exempt from the 
payment of taxes on all contributions thereto and all accruals on its income and investment 
earnings. Any donation, contribution, bequest, subsidy or financial aid which may be made to 
it shall constitute an allowable deduction from the income of the donor for income tax 
purposes and shall be exempt from the donor's tax subject to such conditions as provided in 
the National Internal Revenue Code. The Hematology Center shall be exempt from all other 
taxes, whether direct or indirect, on its income, properties, and operations. 
Section 13. Supervision. - The Hematology 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 Republic Act No. 
10149. 
Section 14. Assistance from other Government Offices. - The Hematology 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 15. 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 16. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall 
initially be charged to the appropriations of the DOH as may be appropriated, under the 
current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for its 
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
Section 17. Separability Clause - If any portion or provision of the Act is declared void or 
unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be affected by such 
declaration. 
Section 18. Repealing Clause - All laws, acts, executive orders, administrative orders, rules and 
regulations inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
Section 19. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two 
(2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,